“There’s no need for me for me to do 400 hurdles anymore. It’s been a long collegiate season and it’s time to rest up a bit, so I won’t be racing Samba until next year,” Benjamin told Mike Rowbottom of the IAAF.
“Of course, of course (it will happen) during the championships part of the season. But at the moment, I’m getting the best out of the circuit, and it’s toward the end of the season for me.”
https://www.iaaf.org/news/feature/michael-norman-rai-benjamin-diamond-league
Is he scared? Or just shrewd? Rai Benjamin announces he'll be duck Samba for the rest of the year, won't race another 400h
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Smart decision - knows he won't race his best after a long NCAA season...save it for 2019.
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He just nearly broke the WR. He just ran a 200 pb. How do you know he wouldn't break the WR in his next race? I think it's a smart decision if you are his coach (but really lame for us fans) as I think it's always good to leave the athlete wanting more, but then again look at Jager, will he ever break 8:00?
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Oh boo. :-(
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? yank rightly scared of Samba. Only westerners dodge the competition, by the way. Africans don’t care.
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El Keniano wrote:
? yank rightly scared of Samba. Only westerners dodge the competition, by the way. Africans don’t care.
Perhaps because money is the incentive - the more you run, the more chances you have to win and get the winner's purse... -
El Keniano wrote:
? yank
Benjamin isn't American. -
Maybe he doesn't want to break the world record until he is officially American.
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ehrkwashdjkh wrote:
Maybe he doesn't want to break the world record until he is officially American.
Maybe he doesn't want to break the world record until he gets a sponsor who pays hefty bonus for the world record. -
Larry David wrote:
Benjamin isn't American.
Yes he is... -
Hardloper wrote:
Larry David wrote:
Benjamin isn't American.
Yes he is...
+100 -
If you look at any USC sprinter who is coached by Caryl Smith Gilbert you will see they compete at their shorter events following the NCAA season. Aaron Brown, Andre Degrasse, Beejay Lee all did the same thing. I don't believe she thinks athletes can hold an extended peak of their endurance qualities based on how she sets up training. I would be surprised in Benjamin or Norman run anything over 200m for the rest of the season.
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rojo wrote:
but really lame for us fans?
So were you one of Rai Benjamin's many 'fans' before 2018?
His season is over. He can run 200s and open 400s for himself this Summer, until he gets tired. -
He knows that someone will offer him a lot of money to hurdle, so he waits for the offer.
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It’s probably because he has a better chance at the DL final at 200 than 400h at this point. Only one 400h remaining and he has 0 points, so making the final would be tough or impossible.
If he makes the 200 final he will get some $ (and probably pick up a 2nd world ranking which will be more $). -
Just checked. Even if Benjamin ran and won the hurdles in Lausanne he wouldn’t make the DL final unless some guys scratch.
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D2sprinter wrote:
Hardloper wrote:
Larry David wrote:
Benjamin isn't American.
Yes he is...
+100
According to IAAF he competes for Antigua
https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/antigua-barbuda/rai-benjamin-283841 -
Larry David wrote:
[quote]El Keniano wrote:
? yank
Benjamin isn't American.[/quote
Sure gotcha there, didn't he? -
El Keniano wrote:
? yank rightly scared of Samba. Only westerners dodge the competition, by the way. Africans don’t care.
Well it's hard to recover without all the pharmaceutical help in East Africa, so our runners need to recover.... -
I understand what he is doing, but it is still Bullshit. Let's say he holds out until next year to Go for the record. Tomorrow is not promised. What if he gets hurt or next year things aren't as great as this year. Not wishing any harm or bad will to the guy, but you have to strike while the iron is hot. Break the record and then go to Nike or whoever and renegotiate Or at least get under 47. Working on his 200 is fine and all, but he needs to run one more 400m hurdle race against Samba. Even if he loses, he will have experienced racing the guy and get ready for next year. I understand that running in the NCAA's and then racing on the international circuit is tough, but how many times do you get to break a WR?
