Olympic champion Rai Benjamin stormed to victory in the 400 metres hurdles in 46.52 seconds to finally clinch his first world championship gold medal on Friday after two silvers and a bronze.

The 28-year-old American, who had put on a golden crown following the finish, had a few nervous moments after initially being disqualified for crashing into the final hurdle and affecting other athletes.

Benjamin’s appeal was quickly upheld, however, and he was restored to the top of the timesheet with World Athletics confirming he was the champion.

The American said he thought he might have stepped on the line when he was first told of the potential qualification.

“It was all fine in the end,” he said. “It feels great. I am glad I finally got the job done. I got another individual medal under my belt, for which I am extremely proud.

“I think I did a good job. Unfortunately, I got really greedy in the end and that’s why I hit the last hurdle.”

Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos briefly held another world title to go with his 2022 triumph after finishing second in 46.84, but was satisfied with silver.

“If nothing irregular happened, that’s not how I want to win gold,” he said. “I want to conquer the race. So I am not sad with silver, I am happy.”

Qatari Abderrahman Samba took bronze in 47.06, while Norway’s world record holder Karsten Warholm, who was gunning for a fourth world title, finished fifth in 47.58 behind Ezekiel Nathaniel (47.11).

NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT REVERSAL OF DISQUALIFICATION

Nathaniel said he had been told to stand by while the disqualification and appeal were sorted out but had no complaints about how it all washed out, even if he did not end up on the podium.

“It’s a fair call,” said the Nigerian. “He put in a lot of work to get that medal and if they are trying to rip off from that, I don’t think that’s fair. He didn’t deliberately knock over the hurdle, that could happen to anyone.”

The race pitted the fastest three men in the history of the one-lap hurdle against each other and Benjamin, Warholm and Dos Santos all exploded out of the blocks.

Benjamin had a clear lead as they came around the final bend with Warholm starting to fade and the American looked to be cruising to victory until his foot made contact with the final hurdle.

Warholm also had no problems with the reversal of the disqualification but was very unhappy with his race.

“I had something happen when I got out of the block, like a little strain in my left thigh,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s a hamstring or knee. Trying to hurdle with it wasn’t good. I also crashed the third hurdle. I tried to push but it was just a terrible race. A disaster.”

-Reuters

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By KUNLE SOLAJA.

Day Four of the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo has seen African nations leave their imprint on the global stage, with Kenya and Tanzania flying the continent’s flag high while Nigeria has finally broken onto the medals table.

Sports Village Square reports that Kenya, the traditional powerhouse of distance running, sits proudly in second place overall with three golds, one silver, and one bronze.

The East Africans trail only the United States, who have set the early pace with six gold medals. Kenya’s haul underscores their dominance on the track, particularly in middle- and long-distance events.

In a surprise but historic outing, Tanzania claimed its first gold medal, placing the country in joint seventh position with Switzerland, France, and Spain.

The win marks a watershed moment in Tanzania’s athletics history, signaling the emergence of new forces in African sport.

Ethiopia has also maintained its tradition of podium finishes, collecting two silvers and a bronzeto sit in13th position. Morocco picked up a silver to join the mid-table pack, whileNigeria’s silver medal finish ensured West Africa’s presence on the honours list, placing the country in joint 16th position alongside Brazil, Korea, Mexico, and Greece.

For Nigeria, the silver is both a relief and a motivation, after a challenging start to the championship. It keeps hopes alive that the nation’s sprinters, jumpers, and throwers can yet add to the tally as the competition intensifies.

Elsewhere in the Caribbean, Jamaica showcased its sprinting depth with one gold and three silvers, sitting in joint fifth place with Kenya in total medal count (five).

As the championship enters its mid-phase, African nations will look to build on their promising performances, with hopes resting on Ethiopia’s endurance runners, Nigeria’s sprinters and jumpers, and South Africa’s yet-to-spark contingent.

With Kenya breathing down America’s neck, and Tanzania’s fairy-tale gold inspiring smaller nations, the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships may yet turn into Africa’s stage.

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By JESS WHITTINGTON, World Athletics

Four more titles will be decided and a host of qualification action will take place on day five of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

First up on Wednesday (17) is men’s triple jump qualifying and the session will conclude with the men’s 1500m final.

Clash of champions

The past three world champions will clash in the men’s 1500m as Great Britain’s defending champion Josh Kerr takes on his compatriot Jake Wightman, who won in 2022, and the 2019 winner Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya.

But they will face some formidable opposition, in a year that has seen a record 14 men dip under 3:30.

That list includes 20-year-old Dutch athlete Niels Laros, who is unbeaten in the 1500m this year, his wins including at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Brussels and the Diamond League Final in Zurich.

The race will not feature the past two Olympic champions, however, as the Olympic champion from Tokyo in 2021, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, was unable to progress from the heats as he competed for the first time since March, and Paris champion Cole Hocker was disqualified during the semifinals.

Moon defends

Two years on from sharing women’s pole vault gold, USA’s Katie Moon will aim for a second successive title, but her rivals will not include the joint winner last time, Australia’s Nina Kennedy.

Just days before she was due to fly to Japan, Kennedy – who won the Olympic title in Paris last year – announced her withdrawal due to a muscle tear suffered during a final training session.

Her main challengers look to be her compatriot Sandi Morris, who beat her at the US Championships, plus France’s world indoor champion Marie-Julie Bonnin.

Katie Moon at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (© Getty Images)

Paris medallists resume rivalry

Three of the four fastest women in history will battle for gold in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.

All three won medals at the Paris Olympics – Winfred Yavi of Bahrain getting gold, Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai securing silver, and Kenya’s Faith Cherotich bagging bronze.

Yavi is the defending champion, while Chemutai returns to the track on which she won the Olympic title four years ago.

Tentoglou aims to retain

Two-time Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou will aim to become a two-time world champion when he takes to the men’s long jump runway on day five.

The Greek athlete set the world lead of 8.46m in June but finished sixth in his last competition before Tokyo, jumping 7.66m in a Wanda Diamond League Final won by Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer.

Ehammer, the 2024 world indoor heptathlon champion, clinched the title in Zurich ahead of Italy’s world indoor champion Mattia Furlani and they clash again, joined by Jamaica’s 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle.

Time for the 200m

The 200m sprinters will open their campaigns on day five.

The women’s 200m heats will feature the recently crowned world 100m champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, but she won’t face Olympic 100m champion and world 200m leader Julien Alfred, as she injured her hamstring in the 100m final, from which she clinched bronze.

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, fourth in the 100m final, begins her 200m title defence.

In the men’s 200m heats, USA’s Noah Lyles will start his title defence and he will be joined by the Olympic champion, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.

Results for the pair were mixed in the 100m as Lyles clinched bronze, while Tebogo was disqualified for a false start.

They will be joined by athletes including two-time Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, who finished fourth in the 100m final on Sunday.

–World Athletics

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