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Rai Benjamin has explained why he struggled in 2022 even if he clinched silver at the Olympics, rubbishing claims he was 'mentally weak' as he drew similarities to Noah Lyles' COVID-striken status that affected his 200-meter performance at the Paris Olympics.
American hurdler Rai Benjamin has opened up about the challenges he faced leading up to his silver medal performance in the 400m hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Speaking on the Beyond The Records podcast alongside hosts Grant Holloway and Noah Lyles, Benjamin detailed the physical and mental struggles he endured, drawing parallels to Lyles’ bronze medal finish in the 200 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Benjamin’s 2022 season was marred by a torn tendon in his high hamstring, a nagging injury that worsened as the year progressed.
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“I tore the tendon in my high hamstring, and throughout the season, it kept ripping and ripping to a point where it was just a bunch of tears connected high in the hamstring,” Benjamin revealed.
Adding to his woes, Benjamin contracted COVID-19, which caused significant weight loss and disrupted his training regimen.
“I got COVID that year and lost like 10 pounds. During the US trials, I was going through the rounds cooked after every round,” he explained.
Despite the setbacks, Benjamin battled through to secure a spot in the final on home soil in Eugene, Oregon. Starting from lane three—a position he found disappointing—he defied the odds to clinch silver behind Norwegian world record-holder Karsten Warholm.
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Reflecting on the race, Benjamin shared how he found an unexpected burst of energy on the backstretch.
“I was probably second to last going into the fifth hurdle. I don’t know what happened, but something told me to just run the hell out of that turn and see what happened,” he recalled.
That decision paid off as he surged past competitors.
“I ran the hell out of that turn, and the light came shining through the scoreboard. I could not see anything. I got out of the turn and was like, ‘holy shit, I am in third now.’ I was like, ‘go some more—second,’” he said.
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However, by the ninth hurdle, exhaustion caught up with him.
“When we got to hurdle nine, I was cooked, finished. I had nothing left,” Benjamin admitted.
Benjamin pushed back against perceptions that his struggles were a result of mental weakness.
“A lot of people put it down to ‘he is mentally weak.’ There is this mental hurdle he needs to get over, but realistically, I just was not healthy,” he clarified.
He contrasted 2022 with his dominant 2021 season, where he finished second in the Tokyo Olympics and described 2024 as his "healthy year," underscoring the importance of physical readiness in elite sports.
Benjamin drew comparisons between his experience and Noah Lyles’ bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Lyles, who had contracted COVID-19 earlier, struggled to regain his confidence and rhythm, ultimately finishing third behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek.
Despite the challenges, both athletes have showcased remarkable resilience, proving that even in adversity, greatness can still emerge.
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