Paris 2024 athletics: All results, as Rai Benjamin claims gold in epic men’s 400m hurdles final

Rai Benjamin put on a spectacular show to win Paris 2024 gold in the men’s 400m hurdles. The American passed through the line in a time of 46.46 seconds, beating Tokyo 2020 champion Karsten Warholm of Norway who took silver in 47.06 and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos who won bronze in 47.26.

"I can't believe I actually finally did it," Benjamin reflected after the race. "It just happened at the right moment. My family is here, my friends are here. To do it in front of them means so much to me. I'm just so excited."

A field of the highest quality lined up on the start line with 10 hurdles and seven other athletes - each with the same lofty goal of gold - separating them from them and the Olympic title.

And while many fans could have predicted the podium, guessing the steps on which the athletes would stand was a much harder proposition.

Warholm, the Olympic record holder, was perhaps the most fancied for gold. However, with Dos Santos the 2022 world champion and Benjamin holding the fastest time of the year, this 400m hurdles final seemed to be as wide open as they get.

In the end, it was Benjamin who finished strongest, powering through the line to take the Olympic crown in front of a Paris crowd in full party mode as the evening’s athletics action drew to a close. Warholm stumbled in the final straight, ending his chances of catching the American who led with 100m to go.

"To do it here means a lot," Benjamin replied when asked what it felt like to beat such a competitive field. "I've been doing it all season. To get it done it here when it really matters, when everyone said I couldn't get it done, it means so much to me. This one, they can't take away from me, at all. Mostly for me, this is about proving myself right."

Benjamin now upgrades the silver he won at the last Games in Tokyo to a shining gold medal, embedded with a piece of the Eiffel Tower. He will leave these Games not only with a genuine piece of French history but also the most coveted prize in sport — the title of Olympic champion.

Paris 2024 athletics: Men’s 400m hurdles

Gold: Rai Benjamin (USA)

Silver: Karsten Warholm (Norway)

Bronze: Alison dos Santos (Brazil)

Discover all the results from Paris 2024 on Olympics.com.