Rai Benjamin

Rai Benjamin
	Rai Benjamin at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene
Personal information
Born	July 27, 1997; Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	77 kg (170 lb)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Hurdling, sprinting
College team	USC Trojans (2018); UCLA Bruins (2016, 2017)
Team	Nike
Turned pro	2018
Coached by	Joanna Hayes; Quincy Watts; Caryl Smith Gilbert
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	2020 Tokyo; 400 m hurdles, Silver;
World finals	2019 Doha; 400 m hurdles, Silver; 2022 Eugene; 400 m hurdles, Silver; 2023 Budapest; 400 m hurdles, Bronze;
Personal bests	400 m hurdles: 46.17 AR (Tokyo 2021); 400 m: 44.21 (Los Angeles 2023); 200 m: 19.99 (Paris 2018); 100 m: 10.03 (Fort Worth 2020); Indoors; 400 m: 45.39i (Staten Island 2021); 200 m: 20.34i NR (College Station 2018);
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
World Championships
Diamond League
Representing Antigua and Barbuda
CARIFTA Games (U-20)

Rai Benjamin (born July 27, 1997)^[7] is an American professional hurdler and sprinter specializing in the 400 m and 400 m hurdles. He is the second fastest man in history in the 400 m hurdles with a personal best time of 46.17 s. Benjamin won silver medals at his first Olympic Games in 2021 and at the World Championships in 2019 and 2022 in the men's 400 m hurdles, and gold medals in the 4 × 400 m relay in 2019 and 2021.

In college, Benjamin ran for the UCLA Bruins and then the USC Trojans, where in early 2018 he was part of the team that set the world best time in the indoor 4 × 400 m relay with a time of 3:00.77. At the time, his relay split time of 44.35 s was the fastest ever recorded in an indoor race. In June of the same year he also helped set the NCAA record in the same event but outdoors, and ran what was at the time the second fastest 400 m hurdles race of all time in 47.02 s.

Early life and career

Rai Benjamin, from Mount Vernon High School (New York), just after completing his second year participated at the 2013 World Youth Championships held in Donetsk, Ukraine. He wanted to run for the USA, since he was born in New York,^[8] but in Donetsk he represented Antigua and Barbuda in the 400 m hurdles.^[9]

He won the 2015 New York Indoor State meet with a national-leading time of 33.17 in the 300 meters. He was a three-time New York State Public High School Athletic Association champion in the 400m hurdles. Benjamin won a silver medal in the 400 meters at the 2015 CARIFTA Games. He was the 2015 New Balance 400-meter hurdles national champion.^[10] He was the fastest 2015 prep time in the United States in the 400m hurdles with a time of 49.97, fastest 400 m indoor time in the country with a 46.59 and the third fastest outdoor time 46.19.

In 2017, the IAAF suspended all transfers of allegiance, meaning Benjamin could not represent the United States until transfers were reinstated in summer 2018.^[11] In October 2018, Benjamin's transfer request was approved, allowing him to represent the United States abroad and compete in USATF Championship events.^[2]

At the 2018 Meeting Areva in Paris, he ran 19.99 in the 200 meters to take .65 of a second off his previous personal best.^[5]^[6]^[12] He became the 72nd person to break 20 seconds,^[13] in what is perhaps his third best event on the track.

At the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays, that year at El Camino College in Torrance, California, Benjamin joined his training partner and previous college teammate, Michael Norman running the 400 meters. Benjamin ran his personal best of 44.31, the 50th best time in history^[14] behind Norman's 43.45, which turned out to be the fastest 400 run in the 2019 season and tied him as the 4th fastest of all time.^[15]

Personal life

Benjamin is the son of West Indies international and Antiguan cricketer Winston Benjamin.^[8]^[16]

Achievements

Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.^[7]

Personal bests

Surface	Event	Time	Venue	Date	Notes
Outdoor	400 m hurdles	46.17	Tokyo, Japan	August 3, 2021	North American record, 2nd all time
	400 m	44.21	Los Angeles, CA, United States	April 8, 2023
	200 m	19.99	Paris, France	June 30, 2018	(−0.6 m/s wind)
	100 m	10.03	Fort Worth, TX, United States	July 20, 2020	(+1.6 m/s wind)
	4 × 400 m relay	2:55.70	Tokyo, Japan	August 7, 2021	2021 world lead
Indoor	400 m	45.39	New York, NY, United States	February 13, 2021
	300 m	32.35	New York, NY, United States	February 8, 2020
	200 m	20.34	College Station, TX, United States	March 10, 2018	NR^{[note 1]}
	4 × 400 m relay	3:00.77	College Station, TX, United States	March 10, 2018	World best^{[note 2]}

International competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
Representing Antigua and Barbuda
2013	World Youth Championships	Donetsk, Ukraine	15th	400 m hurdles	52.36
2015	CARIFTA Games (U20)	Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis	2nd	400 m	46.19	PB
2015	World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	– (h)	4 × 200 m relay	DNF
Representing the United States
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	2nd	400 m hurdles	47.66
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:56.69	WL PB
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	2nd	400 m hurdles	46.17	PB AR, 2nd all time
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	1st	4 x 400 m relay	2:55.70	SB
2022	World Championships	Eugene, OR, United States	2nd	400 m hurdles	46.89
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	3rd	400 m hurdles	47.56
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	4 x 400 m relay	2:57.31	WL

Circuit wins

Diamond League (400 m hurdles)
- Rome: 2019
- Stanford: 2019
- Doha: 2021, 2023
- Eugene: 2023
World Indoor Tour
- Boston: 2019 (300 m)

National championships

Representing the UCLA Bruins (2016–2017), the USC Trojans (2018), and Nike (2019–)
Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
2016	NCAA Division I Championships	Eugene, Oregon	6th	400 m hurdles	49.82	PB
2017	NCAA Division I Championships	Eugene, Oregon	2nd	400 m hurdles	48.33	PB
2017	NCAA Division I Championships	Eugene, Oregon	22nd	4 × 100 m relay	39.89
2018	NCAA Division I Indoor Championships	College Station, Texas	3rd	200 m	20.34	PB
	NCAA Division I Indoor Championships	College Station, Texas	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:00.77	WB^{[note 2]}
	NCAA Division I Championships	Eugene, Oregon	1st	400 m hurdles	47.02	WL PB CR^[8]
	NCAA Division I Championships	Eugene, Oregon	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:59.00	PB CR
2019	USATF Championships	Des Moines, Iowa	1st	400 m hurdles	47.23
2021	U.S. Olympic Trials	Eugene, Oregon	1st	400 m hurdles	46.83	WL PB MR, 3rd all time
2022	USATF Championships	Eugene, Oregon	1st	400 m hurdles	47.04

NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.^[18]^[19]

Seasonal bests

Year	400 m hurdles	400 m	200 m
2013	53.95	49.55	22.38
2014	51.86	47.17	20.88
2015	49.97	46.19	21.09
2016	49.82	47.57	21.17
2017	48.33	45.72	20.64
2018	47.02	44.74	19.99
2019	46.98	44.31	—
2020	—
2021	46.17	44.97	20.16
2022	46.89	—	20.01

College career

Benjamin is a three-time NCAA Division I track champion. As a college student-athlete, Benjamin earned three Pac-12 conference titles, one Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title, and eight NCAA Division I All-America honors (five outdoor, three indoor).

Benjamin's All-America honors were for these accomplishments:

2016 indoor, as part of a seventh-place team finish in the indoors distance medley relay, with a time of 9:34.9.
2016 outdoor, for a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 49.82.
2017 outdoor, for a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 48.33, and as part of a team finish of 39.89 in the 4x100m relay.
2018 indoor, for a third-place finish in the 200m, and as part of a team that set a college indoor track record of 3:00.77 in the 4x400m relay.
2018 outdoor, as part of a team that won the 4x400m relay in 2:59.00, and for a college record time of 47.02 in the 400m hurdles. His time equalled Edwin Moses's for the second fastest time in history.

Year	Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor track and field	NCAA Indoor	Pac-12 Conference Outdoor	NCAA Division I Outdoor track and field
Representing the University of Southern California^[20]^[21]
2018		200 m 3rd 20.34	400 m hurdles 1st 48.46	400 m hurdles 1st 47.02 CR
2018	400 m 1st 45.94	4 x 400 m relay 1st 3:00.77 CR	4 x 100 m relay 1st 39.38	4 x 400 m relay 1st 2:59.00
2017	4 x 400 m relay 5th 3:12.50		4 x 400 m relay 4th 3:09.39	4 x 100 m relay 22nd 39.89
	400 6th 47.06		400 m hurdles 1st 49.52	400 m hurdles 2nd 48.33
	200 m 3rd 21.09
Representing the University of California, Los Angeles^[22]^[23]
2016	400 m 7th 47.57		400 m hurdles 52.21	400 m hurdles 6th 49.82
2016		DMR 7th 9:34.39	4 x 100 m relay 4th 40.22

Notes

1 2 For Antigua and Barbuda
1 2 Shared with Zach Shinnick, Ricky Morgan, and Michael Norman for the USC Trojans. Because Rai Benjamin was not cleared to represent the United States with his American teammates until after the race, the time was not recognized by the World Athletics as the official world record.^[17]

References

1 2 "Rai Benjamin". eurosport.com. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
1 2 Sully, Kevin (October 4, 2018). "Rai Benjamin Cleared To Compete for the US". milesplit.com. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
1 2 3 4 Lindstrom, Sieg (January 19, 2019). "New Flag, New Beginning for Rai Benjamin". trackandfieldnews.com. Track & Field News. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
1 2 Sully, Kevin (June 14, 2018). "Rai Benjamin is Now a Nike Athlete". flotrack.org. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
1 2 Rowbottom, Mike (July 1, 2018). "Norman and Benjamin the latest starts to shine in the IAAF Diamond League". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
1 2 Zaccardi, Nick (June 30, 2018). "Abderrahman Samba runs second-fastest 400m hurdles ever (video)". nbcsports.com. NBC. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
1 2 "Rai BENJAMIN – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
1 2 3 Burke, Timothy (June 8, 2018). "Rai Benjamin Runs 47.02 400m Hurdles, Tied For Second-Fastest in Human History". deadspin.com. Deadspin. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
↑ "400m hurdles (84.0 cm) Boys semi-final results".
↑ track ucla mount vernon rai benjamin
↑ "Transfer of Allegiance".
↑ "2018 Paris Diamond League 200 m". Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
↑ "200 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".
↑ "400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".
↑ "400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".
↑ Levy, Leighton (October 4, 2018). "Antiguan star athlete Rai Benjamin switches allegiance to USA". sportsmax.tv. SportsMaxTV. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
↑ Joe Fleming (March 12, 2018). "World, collegiate records highlight NCAA indoor track and field championships". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
↑ "RAI BENJAMIN UCLA". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
↑ "RAI BENJAMIN USC". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
↑ "Rai Benjamin at USC". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). Retrieved June 30, 2018.
↑ Rai Benjamin USC profile University of Southern California. June 30, 2018
↑ Rai Benjamin UCLA track results TFRRS. June 30, 2018
↑ Rai Benjamin UCLA profile University of California Los Angeles. June 30, 2018

External links

Videos

Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin at Mt SAC Relays 2019 via MyStyle Records on YouTube
Michael Norman 19.84 Wins Men's 200m – IAAF Diamond League Paris 2018 via IAAF Diamond League on YouTube (Rai Benjamin 2nd in 19.99)

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[ATG-7] 1 2 For Antigua and Barbuda

[IndoorWB-18] 1 2 Shared with Zach Shinnick, Ricky Morgan, and Michael Norman for the USC Trojans. Because Rai Benjamin was not cleared to represent the United States with his American teammates until after the race, the time was not recognized by the World Athletics as the official world record.^[17]

[eurosport.com-1] 1 2 "Rai Benjamin". eurosport.com. Retrieved September 26, 2020.

[Cleared-2] 1 2 Sully, Kevin (October 4, 2018). "Rai Benjamin Cleared To Compete for the US". milesplit.com. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved January 23, 2019.

[NewFlag-3] 1 2 3 4 Lindstrom, Sieg (January 19, 2019). "New Flag, New Beginning for Rai Benjamin". trackandfieldnews.com. Track & Field News. Retrieved January 20, 2019.

[Nike-4] 1 2 Sully, Kevin (June 14, 2018). "Rai Benjamin is Now a Nike Athlete". flotrack.org. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved January 24, 2019.

[Norman-5] 1 2 Rowbottom, Mike (July 1, 2018). "Norman and Benjamin the latest starts to shine in the IAAF Diamond League". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved January 23, 2019.

[Abderrahman-6] 1 2 Zaccardi, Nick (June 30, 2018). "Abderrahman Samba runs second-fastest 400m hurdles ever (video)". nbcsports.com. NBC. Retrieved January 23, 2019.

[WAprofile-8] 1 2 "Rai BENJAMIN – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved January 1, 2023.

[HurdlesBest-9] 1 2 3 Burke, Timothy (June 8, 2018). "Rai Benjamin Runs 47.02 400m Hurdles, Tied For Second-Fastest in Human History". deadspin.com. Deadspin. Retrieved January 24, 2019.

[10] "400m hurdles (84.0 cm) Boys semi-final results".

[11] track ucla mount vernon rai benjamin

[12] "Transfer of Allegiance".

[13] "2018 Paris Diamond League 200 m". Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.

[14] "200 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".

[15] "400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".

[16] "400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".

[17] Levy, Leighton (October 4, 2018). "Antiguan star athlete Rai Benjamin switches allegiance to USA". sportsmax.tv. SportsMaxTV. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.

[19] Joe Fleming (March 12, 2018). "World, collegiate records highlight NCAA indoor track and field championships". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved October 9, 2019.

[20] "RAI BENJAMIN UCLA". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved February 20, 2019.

[21] "RAI BENJAMIN USC". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved February 20, 2019.

[22] "Rai Benjamin at USC". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). Retrieved June 30, 2018.

[23] Rai Benjamin USC profile University of Southern California. June 30, 2018

[24] Rai Benjamin UCLA track results TFRRS. June 30, 2018

[25] Rai Benjamin UCLA profile University of California Los Angeles. June 30, 2018

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2020 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	2020 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Abdihakem Abdirahman Devon Allen Ronnie Baker Kenny Bednarek Rai Benjamin Hillary Bor Trayvon Bromell Matthew Centrowitz Jr. Paul Chelimo Michael Cherry Nick Christie Bryce Deadmon (r) Mason Ferlic Grant Fisher Elija Godwin Cravon Gillespie (r) Cole Hocker Grant Holloway Bryce Hoppel Isaiah Jewett David Kendziera Fred Kerley Benard Keter Woody Kincaid Joe Klecker Erriyon Knighton Noah Lyles Clayton Murphy Michael Norman Vernon Norwood (r) Yared Nuguse Jacob Riley Daniel Roberts Randolph Ross Galen Rupp Kenny Selmon Trevor Stewart
Men's field athletes	Steve Bastien Chris Benard Will Claye Ryan Crouser Marquis Dendy Mason Finley JuVaughn Harrison Daniel Haugh Reggie Jagers Sam Kendricks (withdrew) Joe Kovacs KC Lightfoot Matt Ludwig Sam Mattis Steffin McCarter Shelby McEwen Chris Nilsen Payton Otterdahl Garrett Scantling Donald Scott Michael Shuey Darryl Sullivan Christian Taylor Curtis Thompson Rudy Winkler Zach Ziemek
Women's track and road athletes	Nia Ali Anavia Battle Christina Clemons Anna Cockrell Emma Coburn Valerie Constien Elise Cranny Gabbi Cunningham Teahna Daniels Allyson Felix Courtney Frerichs English Gardner Kendra Harrison Quanera Hayes Aleia Hobbs (r) Lynna Irby (r) Wadeline Jonathas Sally Kipyego Heather MacLean Taylor Manson Cory McGee Sydney McLaughlin Miranda Melville Maria Michta Alicia Monson Athing Mu Dalilah Muhammad Courtney Okolo (r) Javianne Oliver Elinor Purrier St. Pierre Jenna Prandini Raevyn Rogers Rachel Schneider Karissa Schweizer Molly Seidel Emily Sisson Robyn Stevens Gabrielle Thomas Aliphine Tuliamuk Kaylin Whitney (r) Ajeé Wilson
Women's field athletes	Valarie Allman Brooke Andersen Adelaide Aquilla Gwen Berry Erica Bougard Quanesha Burks Tynita Butts-Thompson Kelsey Card Vashti Cunningham Tara Davis Rachel Dincoff Tori Franklin Ariana Ince Annie Kunz Morgann LeLeux Maggie Malone Rachel McCoy Jasmine Moore Sandi Morris Katie Nageotte Keturah Orji DeAnna Price Jessica Ramsey Brittney Reese Raven Saunders Kendell Williams Kara Winger
Coaches	Robyne Johnson (women's assistant coach) Gary Aldrich (men's assistant coach) Nat Page (men's assistant coach) Stanley Redwine (men's assistant coach) Sandra Fowler (women's assistant coach) Michael Holloway (men's head coach) LaTanya Sheffield (women's assistant coach) Rose Monday (women's head coach) Darryl Woodson (men's assistant coach) Marsha Seagrave (Women's Head Manager) Tim Weaver (Men's Head Manager) Megan Watson (women's assistant coach) Manny Bautista Event Manager Danielle Siebert Event Manager

US National Championship winners in men's 400 m/440 yd hurdles
1914–1979 Amateur Athletic Union	1914–15: Bill Meanix 1916: Walter Hummel 1917: Floyd Smart 1918: Donald Hause 1919: Floyd Smart 1920: Frank Loomis 1921: August Desch 1922: Joseph Hall 1923: Ivan Riley 1924–26: Morgan Taylor 1927: Johnny Gibson 1928: Morgan Taylor 1929: Gordon Allott 1930: Dick Pomeroy 1931: Victor Burke 1932: Joe Healey 1933–34: Glenn Hardin 1935: Tom Moore 1936: Glenn Hardin 1937–38: Jack Patterson 1939: Roy Cochran 1940: Carl McBain 1941: Arky Erwin 1942: Walter Smith 1943–46: Arky Erwin 1947: Walter Smith 1948: Roy Cochran 1949–52: Charles Moore 1953–55: Josh Culbreath 1956–58: Glenn Davis 1959: Dick Howard 1960: Glenn Davis 1961: Cliff Cushman 1962: Willie Atterberry 1963: Rex Cawley 1964: Billy Hardin 1965: Rex Cawley 1966: Jim Miller 1967–68: Ron Whitney 1969–71: Ralph Mann 1972: Dick Bruggeman 1973–74: Jim Bolding 1975: Ralph Mann 1976: Tom Andrews 1977: Edwin Moses 1978: James Walker 1979: Edwin Moses
1980–1992 The Athletics Congress	1980: David Lee 1981: Edwin Moses 1982: David Patrick 1983: Edwin Moses 1984: David Patrick 1985: Andre Phillips 1986: Danny Harris 1987: Edwin Moses 1988: Kevin Henderson 1989–90: David Patrick 1991: Danny Harris 1992: Kevin Young
1993–present USA Track & Field	1993: Kevin Young 1994–95: Derrick Adkins 1996–98: Bryan Bronson 1999–2001: Angelo Taylor 2002: James Carter 2003: Eric Thomas 2004: James Carter 2005–06: Kerron Clement 2007: James Carter 2008–10: Bershawn Jackson 2011: Jeshua Anderson 2012–13: Michael Tinsley 2014: Johnny Dutch 2015: Bershawn Jackson 2016: Kerron Clement 2017: Eric Futch 2018: Kenny Selmon 2019: Rai Benjamin 2021^{2020 OT}: Rai Benjamin 2022-23: Rai Benjamin
Notes	440 yd hurdles 1914–27, 1929–31, 1953–55, 1957–58, 1961–63, 1965–67, 1969–71 and 1973; 400 m hurdles otherwise. The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event. 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.