American Rai Benjamin outpaced rivals Alison Dos Santos and Karsten Warholm to claim a first world 400 metres hurdles title in Tokyo on Friday.
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Benjamin was briefly disqualified before being reinstated, after he hit the last hurdle and it moved into the neighbouring lane.
The 2024 Olympic champion who has two previous world silvers and a bronze to his name, clocked a season's best time of 46.52sec for victory at the National Stadium.
Rai takes the crown 👑
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 19, 2025
Olympic champ Rai Benjamin powers to 46.84 in the 400m hurdles to win his first world title🔥#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/6UyvDtbzKM
Brazil's 2022 world champion Dos Santos took silver in 46.84sec, with Qatar's Abderrahman Samba rounding out the podium (47.06sec).
There was heartbreak for Warholm, who previously won world titles in 2017, 2019 and 2023, and who claimed gold on the same Tokyo track at the Covid-delayed 2021 Olympics.
The Norwegian could only finish fifth in 47.58sec behind Nigeria's Ezekiel Nathaniel.
Warholm, in lane four, got off to his trademark thunderous start, but clipped the third hurdle.
Coming off the bend into the home straight, Benjamin, in lane seven, had a clear lead.
The American kept his rivals at bay, Dos Santos finishing strongly, but Warholm fading to a disappointing fifth.