Rai Benjamin Opens Up on What Cost Team USA Gold to Letsile Tebogo’s Botswana

Rai Benjamin has revealed the challenges he faced during Team USA’s 4x400m race as Botswana, led by Letsile Tebogo, claimed gold.

Botswana’s men’s 4x400m relay team made headlines on Sunday, September 21, winning Africa’s gold medal in the distance at the World Athletics Championships.

The quartet of Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, Lee Eppie and Busang Kebinatshipi got their sweet revenge on the US team, which comprised Vernon Norwood, Jacory Patterson, Khaleb McRae and Rai Benjamin.

The US team stunned Team Botswana at the Paris Olympic Games, with Rai Benjamin in the anchor, but the 400m hurdles world and Olympic champion failed to deliver for his side in front of a sold-out stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

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Rai Benjamin revealed that after the heats, where Team USA finished a distant sixth and failed to make the final, he was sure that their journey had ended there.

Benjamin disclosed that he only learnt of the appeal, and they were supposed to run again on the morning of the event, but he was not well prepared.

However, since Rai Benjamin had always been competing for Team USA in the anchor leg for a series of years and had won medals for them, he was not looking to let them down.

He revealed that while competing, the last 100m were a nightmare, and that’s when the world 400m champion, Busang Kebinatshipi, held on to win the gold medal.

“I was feeling good until the last 100m. I think that’s when everything just kind of set in on me. Like I said, crazy 24 hours. I didn’t really find out we’re running until this morning, actually. So, in my head, I was pretty much done, you know,” Rai Benjamin told reporters after the race.

“So, I had a pretty late night, and if you could imagine getting the call this morning and, in my head, I was like, ‘Damn, I can’t leave these guys out here like that, and I got to show up for these guys.’ So, in the end, I’m like disappointed I couldn’t get the job done.

“I’ve always been anchored these last couple of years, and I think, unfortunately for me, today my number got called. So, more fuel for the fire for me to be more prepared coming into these championships on the 400m.”

Rai Benjamin promised to sharpen his 400m more ahead of major championships as he also lauded his teammates, Jacory Patterson, Khaleb McRae, who were making debuts for Team USA on the global stage.