Rai Benjamin’s long-awaited victory in Paris is a testomony to his unwavering willpower and relentless pursuit of excellence.
After 4 years of relentless pursuit, Rai Benjamin’s perseverance paid off in Paris. He claimed the gold within the 400m hurdles, a feat that had eluded him in each Worlds and Olympics. His victory was all of the extra spectacular as he outpaced Karsten Warholm, the world report holder, who settled for silver.
The 4×400 m relay was a battle Rai Benjamin was prepared for. He confronted off in opposition to Letsile Tebogo, who gave his all to defeat Benjamin. The race was intense, however ultimately, Benjamin’s willpower and talent had been simply an excessive amount of for Tebogo to beat.
It’s vital to know the sheer depth of the 400-meter hurdles, a race that has been mastered. With ten hurdles to beat, it’s one of many hardest races in our sport. But, in Paris, Rai made it look easy, dominating his last and reaching the highest.
This interview is from March 2023; please take pleasure in!
This interview was performed in March 2023. As prior to now six pre-pandemic years, World Athletics & Advertising and marketing had the forethought to place collectively a few days of interviews for among the observe and subject’s world media. Twenty-six athletes gave interviews to a gaggle of latest, veteran, and not-so-veteran media. Some media had been getting ready for textual content tales, audio, and video, and a few, like RunBlogRun, with a mix of displays.
RunBlogRun sincerely believes {that a} media wealthy in variety is vital to the success of our sport. For instance, the assorted approaches to bespoke observe meets throughout the pandemic and the unimaginable variety in streaming video have enriched our sport.
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In that gentle, we ask you to observe the interview of Rai Benjamin.
On March 8-9, 2023, I interviewed 25 athletes from World Athletics. You’ll start to see them pop up on our websites, FB, Twitter, and IG. We’ll present video variations, audio variations, and textual content variations. Why? As a result of our readers digest media in various manners, even on the identical day.
Rai Benjamin has had a busy three years. After I spoke with Rai in March 2023, we had not chatted since 2019. I requested Rai to supply some context in regards to the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, the Eugene 2022 World Championships, and his present state of well being and health.
What resulted is among the most poignant and trustworthy interviews I’ve witnessed in my practically 40 years as a journalist.
My interviews are fairly natural. I take advantage of a way identified affectionately because the Brian Lenton technique. Brian is a high-quality Australian journalist who captured the golden period of Australian marathoning: Chris Wardlaw, Rob De Castella, Steve Monaghetti, in addition to John Landy, Ron Clarke, Brendan Foster, and Invoice Rodgers, amongst others. In most interviews, Lenton threw a six-pack of an grownup beverage on the desk, and the discuss went the place it went.
I ought to name my technique the advanced Lenton technique. No booze, and sure, tons of studying previous to the interview, however the interview grows organically. On this case, with Rai, he’s clearly snug with an interview. Rai is aware of I like the game, and he is aware of the questions could have him method an occasion differently, maybe than he has earlier than.
My plan was to try to recognize the challenges offered to Rai Benjamin in 2021 and 2022 with sickness, damage and the challenges of being one of many two best athletes on the planet in your occasion.
In one of many questions, it’s possible you’ll discover it a bit garbled. The reality is that this, Rai was so trustworthy, and this author discovered that to be a really emotional expertise. Honesty, at the present time, is just not generally discovered. On this author’s estimation, Rai Benjamin is on a journey to see simply how good he actually is, and that has nothing to do together with his finest 400-meter hurdle time.
I imagine that it’s certainly one of Rai’s finest efforts.
Benefit from the interview. When an athlete and a author can mix for a typical aim, that’s, for this author, like operating a near-perfect race.
I’ve to be trustworthy with you. My statement of Rai Benjamin is that this. In his personal time, he’ll develop into the best 400-meter hurdler the world has ever seen. However, it’s his journey.
And he has many ten-hurdle races (to paraphrase poet Robert Frost) to go earlier than he sleeps.
I met with Rai Benjamin proper after his 400-meter hurdle race in Doha, Qatar. Catching his breath, Rai advised me, ” Look, I’ve simply had COVID once more, I took every week off and am jet lagged.” He ran a 47.78 to carry off a PB operating CJ Allen, who ran 47.93.
“I shall be racing the LA Grand Prix in three weeks and hope to run a lot quicker.”
And that’s the reason I’m on a aircraft on Might 24 to observe the USATF LA Grand Prix.
I wish to see Rai Benjamin run very quick over the 400-meter hurdles.
Particular because of Mike Deering for the post-interview manufacturing of the Interview.