Rai Benjamin reacts to a digital billboard featuring him following Paris Olympics exploits

Rai Benjamin reacted to a hoarding that featured the Olympian in his 400m hurdles gold-winning moment at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He defeated the Tokyo Olympic champion and world record holder, Karsten Warholm, by matching his season-best time of 46.46s, while the latter trailed in 46.4s.

Benjamin was not in his best form the past year in the wake of a nerve flare-up in his back. At the 2023 World Championships, he finished with bronze in the 400m hurdles, prompting track fans to raise doubt about his Paris Olympic success.

After upgrading his Olympic silver to gold, the New York native clapped back with a strong message, saying (via "NPR.org"):

"It does s**k to see people doubting your abilities, not knowing the full story. There's a lot of stuff that happens off the track that nobody really sees," Benjamin said.

Recently he took to his Instagram story and shared a snap of a hoarding, which featured him during his Olympic gold-winning moment.

"They forgot about one hurdle, me," the hoarding read.

Rai Benjamin digital billboard; Instagram - @kingben

Rai Benjamin ecstatically reacted to it, writing:

"Wild to see"

The US men's 4x400m relay team, comprising Rai Benjamin, Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, and Bryce Deadmon, soared to victory in an Olympic record time of 2:54.43. Though the four-time Olympic medalist trailed in bronze in the 400m hurdles at the 2020 Games, he bagged the 4x400m relay win, his maiden Olympic gold.

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Rai Benjamin believed that the 400m hurdles gold would go his way at some point

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 15 - Source: Getty

Rai Benjamin produced his tenth sub47 in his career and was elated after bagging his maiden individual Olympic gold. He said that the gold medal had 'eluded' him for a long time, and having won it in front of his friends and family at the French capital meant the world to him.

"This colour of the medal has eluded me for so long, and to get it done in this fashion, in front of my friends and family just means so much to me. In a way, the weight has been lifted," Benjamin said (via "World Athletics").

He added:

"I don't think I ever doubted it, it was more about staying patient and keep showing up every day. I told myself, ‘it has to go my way at some point’. It went my way today and that's all I can ask for," he added.

Earlier this year, Benjamin defeated the world record holder at the Monaco Diamond League, clocking 46.67 and leaving the latter six-hundredths of a second behind.