Rai Benjamin Reinstated as 400m Hurdles World Champion After Tokyo Disqualification

American athlete Rai Benjamin claimed the 400m hurdles world title in Tokyo with a season-best time of 46.52 seconds, adding to his 2024 Olympic gold in the same event. Benjamin was briefly disqualified for knocking the final hurdle into a neighboring lane, but the decision was reversed, allowing him to secure the win over Brazilian Alison dos Santos and Qatar's Abderrahman Samba. Norway's Karsten Warholm, a previous Olympic and multiple world champion, underperformed with a fifth-place finish after clipping the third hurdle. Benjamin had previously won silver or bronze behind Warholm or Dos Santos in four consecutive global championships from 2019 to 2023. The trio—Benjamin, Warholm, and Dos Santos—holds the 25 fastest times ever recorded in the event, with Warholm holding the world record. Benjamin also has a chance to win a second gold in the men's 4x400m relay later in the championships.