Athletics is currently all the rage in the sporting world and track and field is at the epicenter of it. With athletes making and breaking records front and center, there is also another problem at play. Days ago, track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson started a fight of sorts against the athletics apex body for better pay for their athletes. The voice of reason has spread far and wide into the sporting world, and now American hurdler Rai Benjamin, currently the 2nd fastest man in 400m hurdles, has spoken on the matter in unison with Richardson.
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After winning the 400m hurdles at the USATF 2023 in Oregon, Rai Benjamin stopped for a little chat with an interviewer. Of all the questions, he also braved one about getting more pay ad it being about respect. He was very candid about it.
Equal pay means deserved respect for track and field athletes
A tweet by Chris Chavez quoted Rai Benjamin and read, “If you pay me, I?ll go to these meets. I?m not afraid of anyone. I?m not afraid to race. But I?m not gonna go to Oslo for no appearance fee. We?re not buy one, get one free.” Benjamin recalled saying this before to a reporter once, which indicated that he won’t tolerate the pay dispute anymore.
“If you pay me, I’ll go to these meets. I’m not afraid of anyone. I’m not afraid to race. But I’m not gonna go to Oslo for no appearance fee. We’re not buy one, get one free.”@_Kingben_ on changes he’d like to see to how T&F athletes are paid
🎥 https://t.co/YFI1blJCaa pic.twitter.com/2XntnEdKL7
— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) July 10, 2023
This update comes right on the heels of Sha’Carri Richardson tweeting about the frustratingly low prize money for the champion of USATF, which is surprisingly $2000 lower than the prize money for the winner of the hotdog eating contest. The latter contest was won by Joey Chestnut after stuffing 62 footlongs in his mouth and he was rewarded $10,000. Olympic legend Carl Lewis too was unhappy with such a situation.
Now, whether Benjamin’s comment is related to this context or not, isn’t clear. But the 25-year-old hurdler is definitely affected by the marginal pay dispute toward track and field athletes.
After Diamond League, World Championships will be even bigger
Rai Benjamin actually couldn’t participate in the Oslo Diamond League in June 2023 because he was injured. The Bislett Games, as it’s called, was dominated by Norwegian sprinter and hurdles champions Karsten Warholm and Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Warholm, whose phenomenal performance also won him the gold medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020, made a new record at the Diamond League in 46.52 seconds.
Reuters
Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 400m Hurdles – Final – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 3, 2021. Karsten Warholm of Norway in action on his way to winning gold alongside silver medallist Rai Benjamin of the United States and bronze medallist Alison Dos Santos of Brazil REUTERS/Phil Noble
Rai Benjamin is now looking forward to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the Herculis EBS Meeting on 21 July in Monaco.?A showdown of epic proportions is soon to take place in Monaco, where besides Benjamin and Warholm, world champion Alison Dos Santos might be available. After that, the Paris Olympics aren’t far off.
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