Rai Benjamin is one of the biggest revelations of the US track and field in recent times. Despite missing the Olympic gold medal narrowly back in Tokyo, Benjamin made sure that he did not slip this time around. Competing in the 400m hurdles, the NY native ran an impressive timing of 46.46s to clinch his maiden individual Olympic gold medal. And that was not all. Showing his sprinting prowess once more, the US hurdler also helped his nation secure the top spot in the 4x400m relay. This was the second time the 27-year-old was part of a gold medal-winning relay team.
His debut Olympic gold in team relays came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But the Olympic champion isn’t done. Not yet. He has his eyes set on something further up. The track star has made it a mission to carry his impressive form into the LA 2028 Olympics. Interestingly, with his form on the rise, Benjamin seems to be getting a little more adventurous. In a recent X post, the Olympic medalist mentioned that he might venture into a completely new discipline in track and field.
In a post dated February 7, 2025, Rai Benjamin urged his fans for 200 retweets. To spice things up a little, there was a shocking twist. Benjamin mentioned that he will participate in the 200m and 400m races at the upcoming World Championships. Not only that, he also vowed to compete in the 110m as well! His post stated, “200 retweets and I’ll do the 200/400 double at worlds…. I’ll beat Noah and Vernon… Grant also gotta see me in the 110 too.. I’ll take the stripes off his lil vest.”
200 retweets and I’ll do the 200/400 double at worlds…. I’ll beat Noah and Vernon … Grant also gotta see me in the 110 too.. I’ll take the stripes off his lil vest
— Rai Benjamin (@_Kingben_) February 6, 2025
Namedropping the likes of Noah Lyles, Vernon Norwood, and Grant Holloway, Rai Benjamin looked quite confident in his claims. Surely enough, the NY native is working hard on himself to put up the very best show. Unfortunately, his call out did not please fellow track and field athletes. Noah Lyles and others quickly took to the comment section to mock the 27-year-old hurdler.
Rai Benjamin gets brutally roasted by Noah Lyles and others
Immediately after Benjamin’s big claim, the fastest man did not wait to voice his thoughts. Lyles took to the comment section and posted an image of chewing gym Nicorette and sarcastically added, “Here you go bro. Don’t want you to get addicted to the smoke ”. For the uninitiated, Nicorette is an edible product that helps one to curb their nicotine cravings. Lyles hinted at the fact that Benjamin is just imagining things that won’t be happening.
Another netizen went down memory lane and referred to the showdown between Norwegian gold medal Karsten Warholm and Benjamin in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2021 timing 45.94 seconds Warholm grabbed the gold in 400-meter hurdles and Benjamin missed out on the gold as he timed 46.17 seconds. The comment from the fan read, “All this talk just to get beaten by Warholm again in Tokyo.”
US Olympian Kenny Bednarek, aka Kung Fu Kenny, posted a GIF featuring the cartoon character SpongeBob Squarepants mentioning ‘DELULU’. The GIF jokingly hints at the hurdler living in delusion and how Kenny believes Benjamin will fail to keep his promise of defeating Lyles, Holloway, and Norwood. But it wasn’t all mockery. Some track enthusiasts look forward to such a competition if it ever happens. “As a track and field nerd I’ll pitch in some money to see this”, mentioned the X user. Yet another had an entirely different concern.
Will this situation affect Lyles’, Benjamin’s, and Holloway’s YouTube podcast series, Beyond the Records? There is good reason to believe that it would get even more interesting following this drama. Looking forward to the next episode where the three stars might sit together for a fun conversation, the fan wrote, “The next podcast should be fun.” Can’t say we disagree!
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