United States athlete is removed from competition after donning victory crown too soon, as officials reverse their decision following controversy
In an exciting turn of events at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, American athlete Rai Benjamin claimed individual World Championships gold in the 400m hurdles final. This victory came after a US protest against an initial disqualification, securing the gold with a time of 46.52 seconds.
Prior to this triumph, Benjamin had been a two-time silver medallist and a bronze medalist in previous championships. He also held the distinction of having the second fastest 400m hurdles time of all-time.
The drama unfolded during the race when Benjamin, who had initially appeared to have won the gold medal, was disqualified due to clipping the final hurdle and causing another competitor's hurdle to be knocked out of place. The disqualification, which left many spectators and viewers in shock, was later overturned following the US protest.
Benjamin's time of 46.52 seconds in the race was also the North American record in the event. The athlete, who is a two-time Olympic 4x400m relay champion, had previously failed to capture a gold at the World Championships.
Television cameras captured Benjamin's reaction to the disqualification, showing him asking "how?" and taking off the gold crown he had worn during his celebrations. Former Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill expressed her surprise at the disqualification on the BBC's coverage.
Benjamin's victory adds to his Olympic title in the same event from last summer's Games in Paris. He also won a silver in Tokyo in 2021. The North American record-breaking time of 46.17 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics remains a testament to his impressive performance in the event.
This latest win marks a significant milestone in Benjamin's career, as he now holds the distinction of being the athlete who won his first individual world championship title in the 400m hurdles final at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
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