Rai Benjamin has a better chance of winning gold in 2024 if he switches to the 800m right now

That's a good point wrote:

Awsi Dooger wrote:

No chance. Benjamin still has some hesitation and choppiness to the 400 hurdles while Warholm has maximized.

To avoid chopping, next year Benjamin will switch to 12 steps for the first half of the race and beat Warholm.

While I agree that's true, and I've been arguing that is how Benjamin will be a legitimate threat to Warholm.

He will likely have to over stride a bit to do it and he will pay for it on the last 100m. He needs to be confident and proficient with his other leg and 14 step the last hurdle as well(he over strides for 13 on the 10th hurdle).

Will all this increase his performance enough to beat Warholm? Maybe we'll see...

Rai Benjamin ran up on a few hurdles, as he admitted. Warholm's fast start got the best of him. Had he not, he probably had another 0.3-0.4 seconds shaved off his time. He won't make this mistake again.

The only reason Rai lost to Karsten Warholm is the US Olympic trials were scheduled too close to the Tokyo Olympics. Rai and other athletes did not have adequate time to recover. Given another week or 10 days, and Rai would have won the gold.

Americans, you're embarrassing yourselves. Your boy lost, fair and square. Warholm is clearly the best right now, though that may well change, especially since he's younger and the "loss" gives motivation in and of itself.

Excuses, excuses & even more excuses............

Dutch wrote:

The only reason Rai lost to Karsten Warholm is the US Olympic trials were scheduled too close to the Tokyo Olympics. Rai and other athletes did not have adequate time to recover. Given another week or 10 days, and Rai would have won the gold.

You are an idiot. Warholm ran two diamond league meets between the USOT and the Olympics. Including breaking the former WR in Oslo.

worth noting, among all this, that Alison Dos Santos just ran 46.7 and is 3 yrs younger than Benjamin and 4yrs younger than Warholm.

This is not the 2 horse race over the next few years that many people seem to be assuming

Rai would have a better chance switching to the 200m right now than switching to the 800m right now.

assuming they all stay fit and uninjured,keep up their form,momentum and motivation,and dont get popped for doping,i can see dos santos challenging warholm and benjamin.thing is,karsten only has to just run one off race,and rai benjamin will beat him.

scrags wrote:

worth noting, among all this, that Alison Dos Santos just ran 46.7 and is 3 yrs younger than Benjamin and 4yrs younger than Warholm.

This is not the 2 horse race over the next few years that many people seem to be assuming

But may be Warholm has run his last 400 hurdles. He is seriously considering 400 flat and 800. New goals, sub 43 and sub 1.40 in Paris 2024.

It would be seriously stupid for Warholm to change events with three major championships in three years coming up.

Steven Gardiner is only a tad older... as you said. Therefore he is his main competition, not Michael Norman. I don't understand why everyone disrespects Gardiner like that. He is fast and super consistent.

Uhh Karsten broke the world record after the trials... he had less rest than Rai.

Les wrote:

It would be seriously stupid for Warholm to change events with three major championships in three years coming up.

That depends whether he succeed or not. Combining 400m hurdles and flat or 800m wont work. And Warholm is serious about competing in 400/800. Its a challenge that could make him into a legend close to Bolt. Winning more races in 400m hurdles will "only" make Warholm a possible GOAT in that event. His finishing time at the end of this month will tell a lot about his future opportunities.

paris2024hawk wrote:

Rai has more upside in the hurdles, your saying he might be a good 800m runner. If he can continue to refine his hurdling technique and work on his endurance he can go well under 46.

Virtually no chance given that he was 23 hundredths of a second behind?

Given that logic I guess the whole 400 m hurdles field should move up to the 800 or go for the 400 flat.

whaaaaaat wrote:

The 400m hurdler who achieved the second fastest performance in the history of the universe should not change events.

Yes, exactly.

Just like Nijel Amos should not give up the 800 after running 1.41.73 in London 2012.

But he is Norwegian. Americans are weak. Most top seeds in the 100-200-400-100h did not perform.

I respectfully disagree that Rai should move to the 800. Warhol is technically more proficient, and Raj has more room for improvement on technique. He leads with the right leg the whole way. Warhol leads with the left. That gives him an advantage on the two turns. Also, it looked like Raj clipped the 10th hurdle with his trail foot. This alone could have been the difference between two men who are the best ever. It's a privilege to watch them both.

Rai Benjamin Fan wrote:

Rai Benjamin ran up on a few hurdles, as he admitted. Warholm's fast start got the best of him. Had he not, he probably had another 0.3-0.4 seconds shaved off his time. He won't make this mistake again.

But this has happened every time they're raced one another, and if Benjamin goes out fast he won't finish as strong, it's a tradeoff...so he just won't automatically run 0.3-0.4 faster by starting faster.