Rai Benjamin chose a different approach this season, intentionally deciding not to run the 400m hurdles earlier in 2026. Instead, he raced the flat 400m in Eugene, Monaco and London rather than competing in his usual hurdles event. He later explained that he “wanted to do things differently this year,” and when the Olympic champion finally returned to the 400m hurdles in Lausanne, he immediately made his mark by breaking Edwin Moses’ 45-year-old meeting record.

On August 21, Benjamin took to the track at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland, for his first 400m hurdles race of the season. Yet Benjamin did not need long to remind everyone why he has dominated the event for years. He clocked 46.67 seconds to win the men’s 400m hurdles, finishing well clear of Ismail Nezir, who took second in 48.08, while Bassem Hemeida finished third in 48.17.

The victory was impressive on its own, but Benjamin’s time added another layer to the story. His 46.67 erased Edwin Moses’ Lausanne meeting record of 47.14, which had stood since 1981. After 45 years, one of the most enduring marks at the meeting finally had a new name beside it. Still, Benjamin knew the race was far from perfect.

Benjamin admitting he lacked his usual sharpness over the barriers in his first hurdles race of the season. “It was my first 400m hurdles race of the season, so it was rusty as hell, but I’m happy with it,” he said after the race. “I wanted to do things differently this year, have some fun and try some interesting things,” Benjamin explained.

His decision to change events gave him a chance to step outside the event that has defined much of his career. Benjamin is an Olympic champion and one of the fastest 400m hurdlers in history, but in 2026 he wanted to find out what he could do when the barriers were taken away.

His results over the flat 400m showed that the experiment was working. He ran 44.69 seconds in Tokyo, followed by 44.11 in Eugene, 44.13 in Monaco and a personal best of 44.05 in London. Those races gave him a different competitive challenge before he finally returned to the hurdles. But Lausanne was never meant to mark a permanent return to his usual event.

Benjamin made that clear when he revealed what was coming next. “I have a flat 400m at the Silesia Diamond League in Chorzow on Sunday,” he said. Yet returning to the flat 400m will not be an easy task.

Benjamin faces World Champion Kebinatshipi in high-stakes Silesia 400m showdown

Benjamin, the Paris 2024 Olympic 400m hurdles champion, will get another chance to show his speed over one lap at the Silesia Diamond League when he lines up in the men’s 400m. But standing in his way is Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, the reigning world champion and one of the fastest quarter-milers in the world this season.

Kebinatshipi has already gone down to 43.44 seconds this year, while Jacory Patterson is the only other athlete on the start list to have broken 44 seconds, with a 43.96. Benjamin, meanwhile, has a season best of 44.05, giving him a realistic chance to challenge the leading specialists despite spending much of his career over hurdles.

The matchup also carries some history. Benjamin and Kebinatshipi have already faced each other twice in the flat 400m this season, and the Botswana star has won both encounters. Their first meeting came at Eugene on July 4, where Kebinatshipi clocked 44.00 to finish ahead of Benjamin’s 44.11. Benjamin’s performance was still a personal best at the time.

Six days later in Monaco, Kebinatshipi extended his advantage. He produced a stunning 43.44 to win, while Benjamin finished third in 44.13. The result gave Kebinatshipi a 2-0 edge over Benjamin heading into their next meeting. And Kebinatshipi has been building plenty of momentum of his own. He won four consecutive Diamond League 400m races in Xiamen, Paris, Eugene and Monaco, while also setting Diamond League records of 43.54 in Paris and 43.44 in Monaco.

That form makes the Silesia race another serious test for Benjamin.