Rai Benjamin

Rai Benjamin

Rai Benjamin at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Born	(1997-07-27) July 27, 1997 Mount Vernon, New York
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	400 metres hurdles, 400 metres, 200 metres
College team	University of Southern California Mount Vernon High School (New York) '15
Club	Nike
Turned pro	2018
Coached by	Caryl Smith Gilbert Quincy Watts Joanna Hayes
Medal record Men's athletics CARIFTA Games (U-20) 2015 Basseterre 400 m World Youth Championships (U-18) 2013 Donetsk, Ukraine 400 m hurdles

Rai Benjamin (born July 27, 1997) is a three-time NCAA Champion, eight-time all-american, two-time college record holder who specializes in sprints and hurdles.

Professional

Benjamin had stated he wanted to run for the USA and he was born in New York,^[1] but at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Athletics, he represented Antigua in the 400 m hurdles.^[2]

In 2017, the IAAF suspended all transfers of allegiance, meaning Benjamin could represent the United States until transfers were reinstated in summer 2018.^[3]

At the 2018 Meeting Areva in Paris, he ran 19.99 in the 200 meters to take .65 of a second off his previous personal best.^[4]

College

Benjamin is a 3-time NCAA Division I track champion; Benjamin earned 8 NCAA Division I All-America honors , 3 Pac-12 Conference titles and 1 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title as a college student-athlete.

Benjamin earned two NCAA Division I All-America honors after his 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships where he placed 1st in the 400 meters hurdles in a college record time of 47.02 while being a part of a team that ran 2:59.00 to win the 4x400 m. The 47.02, at the time, equalled Edwin Moses for the #2 time in history.

Benjamin earned two NCAA Division I All-America honors after his 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships where he placed 3rd in the 200 m in a time of 20.34 while being a part of a team that ran 3:00.77 to win the 4x400 m in a college indoor track record time.

Benjamin earned two NCAA Division I All-America honors after his 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships where he placed 2nd in the 400 m hurdles in a time of 48.33 while being a part of a team that ran 39.89 in the 4x100 m.
Benjamin earned one NCAA Division I All-America honor after his 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships where he placed 6th in the 400 meters hurdles in a time of 49.82.

Benjamin earned one NCAA Division I All-America honor after his 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships where the team placed 7th that ran 9:34.39 in the Distance medley relay.

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Prep and Personal life

Benjamin from Mount Vernon High School (New York) was the fastest 2015 prep time in the United States in the 400m hurdles with a time of 49.97, fastest 400 m indoor time in the country with a 46.59 and the third fastest outdoor time 46.19.

Benjamin won the 2015 New York Indoor State meet with a national leading time of 33.17 in the 300 meters. He was a three-time New York State Public High School Athletic Association champion in the 400m hurdles.

Benjamin was the 2015 New Balance 400 meters National Champion and the 2015 New Balance Outdoor 400 meter hurdles National Champion.^[9]

Just after completing his sophomore year, he represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 2013 World Youth Championships. Just after graduating, he won a silver medal in the 400 meters at the 2015 CARIFTA Games.

He is the son of international Antiguan cricketer Winston Benjamin.

References

External links

• Rai Benjamin at IAAF
• Rai Benjamin profile