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After winning a silver medal in men's 400m hurdles at the 2019 World Athletics Championship, Rai Benjamin will return to Doha to participate in the 2021 Doha Diamond League in his marquee event.
Rai Benjamin clocked 47.66 at the time and finished behind Norway's Karsten Warholm. Accompanying him on the podium was Qatar's Abderrahman Samba, who won the bronze medal.
Back at the 1992 Summer Olympics, it was USA's Kevin Young who set the world record in men's 400m hurdles with a time of 46.78 seconds. Despite a generation of athletes trying to break it, it has remained untouched for the last 29 years.
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However, the competition has increased and Rai Benjamin believes that it can be broken in 2021. Speaking at the pre-event press conference ahead of the 2021 Doha Diamond League, the American said:
"If it is going to happen, it will happen this year. Our field is phenomenal. It's not just me (Rai Benjamin), (Abderrahman) Samba, or (Karsten) Warholm. There's also (Kyron) McMaster, (Alison) Dos Santos who ran phenomenally at Mt. SAC. We now have a field of four or five guys who can do under 48 seconds.
"All that is going to do is push each one of us to run faster. Our event (Men's 400m hurdles) will get to a point where running 47 seconds may just not be enough. Or, even running 46 (seconds) will not be enough. With time and everyone just beating everyone else, it will definitely happen. This event will just go to the moon."
Earlier this month, Rai Benjamin finished first at the USATF Golden Games in the men's 400m hurdles category, clocking a time of 47.13 seconds. Shedding light on his performance, Benjamin said:
"My fitness is coming along great. I was surprised that I ran very fast at Mt. San Antonio. I wasn't expecting to open that fast. My coach wasn't expecting me to open that fast. But we took time to focus on a lot of things at the beginning of the season, technique wise and race management. It just shows that everything is working out. It sort of helps us. It helps my coach as well. He knows I am not a slouch, so he has to be on his toes to help me out."
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I would like to be known as the greatest 400m hurdler ever: Rai Benjamin
One of the handful of active hurdlers to complete the 400m race within 47 seconds, the 23-year-old Rai Benjamin has age on his side. When asked about his future ambitions, Benjamin replied that he has set his sights on becoming the greatest 400m hurdler ever. But the youngster also understands that this will not happen overnight.
"I would like to be known as the greatest 400m hurdler ever. It's a big ask. I think to do that, it's going to take a lot. I am so young. I may not have all the accolades. It will take time. Not only in my event but I want to be the most versatile track and field athlete whether it's the 400m hurdles, 400m or the 200m.
"I want my name mentioned in every thing. Like (Mutaz Essa) Barshim said when people take the name of high jump, they want to think of him. I want the same with me as well."
With Karsten Warholm missing, all eyes will be on Rai Benjamin in men's 400m hurdles at the 2021 Doha Diamond League on Friday.
