Tokyo, Sep 19 (NationPress) At the World Athletics Championships held at the National Stadium, American Olympic champion Rai Benjamin and Dutch sprinter Femke Bol triumphed in the men's and women's 400m hurdles, respectively, effortlessly adding yet another gold medal to their growing accolades.

Benjamin sprinted to victory in the men's 400-meter hurdles on Friday, finishing with a season-best time of 46.52 seconds. The 28-year-old athlete showcased his prowess in the final, marking his inaugural world outdoor title. Brazil's Alison dos Santos, the 2022 world champion and two-time Olympic bronze medalist, secured the silver medal with a time of 46.84, while Qatar's Abderrahman Samba claimed bronze in 47.06.

Norway's world record holder Karsten Warholm, who is also the Tokyo Olympic champion and a three-time world champion, lagged behind, finishing fifth in 47.58.

However, Benjamin's celebrations were momentarily marred when it was revealed that he had faced disqualification after a collision with the last hurdle, which caused the adjacent barrier, meant to be cleared by Nigeria's Ezekiel Nathaniel, to become slightly misaligned. Despite this setback, his team successfully appealed the decision, and within 10 minutes, his medal was reinstated.

Bol Dominates

Dutch star Bol successfully defended her title in the women's 400m hurdles, clocking a world-leading time of 51.54 seconds. The 25-year-old, who previously earned bronze medals at the last two Olympic Games, affirmed her dominance in the event with the fastest time of the season.

American athlete Jasmine Jones secured the silver medal with a time of 52.08, while Slovakia's Emma Zapletalova took home the bronze.

Bol entered the competition unbeaten this year in her specialty event, yet she remained cautiously optimistic after her previous attempt to dethrone Olympic and world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at last year’s Paris Olympics did not go as planned.

With McLaughlin-Levrone focusing on the flat 400m this year, and Bol rising in prominence in Europe, many believed she would retain the world title with ease at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, but Bol was not complacent. She executed a stunning race, pulling ahead by four meters to clinch her victory.

Bol, already the world leader with the only sub-52 second time this year, improved her benchmark to 51.54, her fastest performance in over a year.

“This is my second consecutive gold medal, which fills me with pride,” she stated. “This achievement means the world to me. This year, we adjusted some aspects of my training to enhance my finishing capabilities. I made significant improvements, especially in the last 100m, which was exceptional today.”

Bol has enjoyed a flawless season in the quarter-sticks, winning eight consecutive races in Rabat, Hengelo, Stockholm, Monaco, London, Budapest, Silesia, and Zurich before arriving in Tokyo.