“That’s just always been a philosophy of mine,” said the Olympic 400m hurdles champion, as per World Athletics Org on 10 June 2025. “And I think it’s a good philosophy for anyone to have.” What philosophy was he talking about? Well, it is quality over quantity. The Olympic gold medallist might have lost a fierce 300m hurdles battle to Karsten Warholm at the Oslo Diamond League, but this time, the track and field star redeemed himself. Just after losing to the world’s best, he turned the tables on the 15th of June to become the world leader in the 400m. But what was his verdict on the turnaround?

Just a few days ago, he lost the Oslo race where Warholm ran 32.67s, and Rai Benjamin settled for second with a personal best of 33.22s. The tension in the race at Oslo was palpable, and Benjamin’s rival thundered past him at the last moment to clinch the win. And now Benjamin turned the tables and defeated the same rival 72 hours later. He flew to a 46.54—not just a win, but a world lead and a new meeting record in the 400m. This time, he was in charge of how this track and field story would be written. But what was his word on the race in Oslo?

After redeeming himself in the 400m race, he spoke to FloTrack and reflected on what happened in Oslo. Rai Benjamin explained, “I just wanted to come back and run a smarter race than I did in Oslo. I think I got a little too excited, and I was too aggressive out of the gate. So we spoke to Coach Hayes this morning. She has come back from the NCAA. She was like, ‘Just relax.’ She was like, ‘Go out there, execute, and be patient.’ So that was the focus today.”

He also spoke about the next phase of the season and said, “We are still in the heavy part of the season. I think we know what we are capable of running, based on what we were doing in training. Just a matter of coming out here and putting the race together. With the 300, I didn’t prep for it at all, because the conversation was: in September, we have the 400 hurdles, not the 300 hurdles, so I didn’t care about being good at the 300 hurdles for a season opener.”

No one could come between him and the finish line at the Stockholm Diamond League. Everyone from Emil Agyekum, Alastair Chalmers, and Carl Bengtstrom was left behind as he thundered past them with complete control. But now, what is next? The stars will meet again on June 20 in Paris, where every hurdle will be significant. Until then, let’s see this season’s track and field stats for Benjamin.

Rai Benjamin’s track and field stats speak for themselves

He has been showing quality over quantity since the start of the season. The second-fastest man in the 400m had not competed much except for his 2 February victory in a 300m in Boston. His recent outdoor debut since the 2020 season was in Oslo, where he was behind Karsten Warholm.

Just three days later, he turned the tide in his favor to win the 400-meter hurdles in Stockholm. As per World Athletics Org’s 10 June publication, his coach was satisfied despite the fewer number of races he had competed in. “He’s a very smart guy, so he knows his body, and we try to make good choices to keep him healthy,” said Joanna Hayes, who trains Benjamin and Olympic gold medallist Quincy Watts. “He’s had a lot of injuries in the past, so the runs all have to make sense.”

These races did make sense, especially the last one, where he clocked 46.54. Despite having a whimsical sleeping schedule due to the time difference between LA and Europe, he achieved a huge feat. So what is next? Will he stay back in Europe for some more races or go back home? What do you think?