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Gatlin has revealed what makes Rai Benjamin a truly generational talent following his Paris Olympic games success.
American sprint legend Justin Gatlin has hailed Rai Benjamin as a special and generational athlete after his remarkable performance helped Team USA secure gold in the 4x400 meters relay.
Benjamin's strategic brilliance was on full display during the final leg of the relay, where he outpaced Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in a thrilling duel to clinch victory with an Olympic record time of 2:54.43.
The race was nothing short of dramatic, with Tebogo, Botswana’s reigning 200m champion, anchoring his team and pushing Benjamin to the limit. Botswana’s team finished just 0.10 seconds behind the U.S., setting a new African record of 2:54.53. Meanwhile, Great Britain claimed the bronze medal with a European record time of 2:55.83.
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17:00 - 21.08.2024
Rai Benjamin on why narrowly beating Letsile Tebogo in the Paris Olympics 4 x 400m final was the most difficult victory of his career
Benjamin anchored USA to the 4 X 400m relay final at the Paris Olympic games, narrowly edging out Letsile Tebogo-anchored Botswana, but he has explained candidly why it was the toughest victory of his career.
Despite not being a pure 400m racer, Benjamin's versatility and speed were critical to Team USA’s success.
He has proven his capabilities across multiple distances, being a sub-10 second sprinter in the 100m and a sub-20 second sprinter in the 200m. His split in the final relay was under 44 seconds, showcasing his immense talent—a performance that Gatlin was quick to praise on the Ready Set Go podcast.
“The only person I know because I have seen him practice and do amazing things was Angelo Taylor, but Rai is on a different level,” Gatlin said, comparing Benjamin to the former Olympic champion.
“To run sub 20 (in the 200m), 44 low (in the 400m), and then do the craziness of running 46.46 in the 400m hurdles is up there.”
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08:30 - 12.08.2024
Letsile Tebogo reveals blunder that made Botswana lose gold to Rai Benjamin-anchored USA in 4x400m final
Tebogo has admitted to the strategic gamble he made in the final of the 4 by 400m relay that counted against Botswana in the end as the USA ended up clinching the medal.
Gatlin went on to highlight how rare it is to see a 400m hurdler anchor Team USA's 4x400m relay, a position traditionally reserved for the best 400m sprinters. He initially questioned why Quincy Hall, a top 400m runner, wasn’t given the anchor role but quickly acknowledged Benjamin’s ability to deliver under pressure.
“It is very rare that you get to see a 400m hurdler be the anchor for Team USA and to be one of the dominant runners. At first, I was questioning where Quincy Hall was,” Gatlin admitted.
“Traditionally, Team USA puts its best 400m guy as anchor; he has to be in the mix and the one who is gonna seal the deal. You have people like LaShawn Merritt who did that for years for Team USA, and even when we had a deficit, LaShawn would have closed the deficit and delivered the victory.”
Gatlin was particularly impressed by Benjamin’s composure and tactical acumen in the final stretch against Tebogo. He praised Benjamin for his ability to measure his energy levels and maintain his lead, ultimately securing the win for Team USA.
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20:30 - 21.08.2024
'I call her John Wick' - American 2024 double Olympic gold medalist on why Femke Bol and Co will never match indomitable Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Rai Benjamin has explained the quality about Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone that makes her indomitable after shattering the 400m hurdles record for the sixth time in the Paris 2024 Olympic final.
“But now you have Rai who has done his 400m race and then still come back and do the 4x4 in such a way that it was like ‘Rai, you are that dude.’ To hold off Tebogo that way and come off that way and look up the screen, know where Tebogo was, he just said ‘cool, measure my energy levels, bring it home, keep him on my shoulder and get the victory,’” Gatlin concluded.
Benjamin’s extraordinary performance in the 4x400m relay, combined with his prowess in multiple sprinting events, solidifies his status as one of the most versatile and dominant athletes in track and field today.
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