Rai Benjamin’s 2025 campaign is shaping up to be one of the most electrifying seasons the 400m hurdles has ever witnessed, and his latest performance in Paris has only amplified the conversation around him.
Fresh off a sensational, Diamond League-leading 46.54 seconds in Stockholm on June 15th, the fastest time in the world this year and the 10th-fastest in history, Benjamin arrived in Paris with momentum.
At the Meeting de Paris, the American hurdler delivered yet another masterclass in speed and control, storming to a meeting record of 46.93 seconds. He obliterated the previous mark of 46.98, set by Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba in 2018. Benjamin maintained a flawless stride pattern, attacked the hurdles with authority, and comfortably fended off Samba, who clocked a season-best 47.09s, and third-placed Trevor Bassitt, who managed a season-best of 48.14s.
A Man With a Plan
Benjamin was clear and composed about his next plan.
“I will race next at the Eugene Diamond League, get some good training, some rest, and get back on my sleep schedule, just get back to my routine.”
“I just took it easy because we just had a really fast race in Stockholm,” Benjamin explained after his Paris run.
“There was no need to come out and force something out, especially because the season is so long.”
More than anything, this season seems deeply personal for Benjamin. Reflecting on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where he ran a historic 46.17 seconds in an empty stadium due to COVID-19 restrictions, Benjamin admitted the lingering hunger.
“The Tokyo Olympics was the best race ever but we did it in front of no one.”
Now, in 2025, it’s about not only chasing medals and records but finally celebrating those moments in packed stadiums, in front of the fans and world stage he was denied in Tokyo.
The Road Ahead
The Eugene Diamond League meet is up next, where he plans to sharpen his form and potentially lower his world lead.
But beyond Eugene, the question is whether Benjamin can maintain this incredible rhythm through the remainder of the Diamond League season, the U.S. Trials, and eventually the global championships.
And if Stockholm and Paris are anything to go by, the best might still be on its way.
