Rai Benjamin, USA Win 4x400m Gold Medal, Set Olympic Record in Men's Track and Field

Rai Benjamin won a duel of individual Summer Olympics champions to bring home the gold for the United States in the men's 4x400-meter relay.

Benjamin, the gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles, held on against a late push from Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, the winner of the 200 meters.

Benjamin, Chris Bailey, Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon combined to set the Olympic record of 2:52.43 and give Team USA its 13th gold in track and field at the Paris Games.

Results

1. United States - 2:54.43

2. Botswana - 2:54.53

3. Great Britain - 2:55.83

4. Belgium - 2:57.75

5. South Africa - 2:58.12

6. Japan - 2:58.33

7. Italy - 2:59.72

8. Zambia - 3:02.76

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Benjamin used his experience from the 400-meter hurdles to hold off the surge from Tebogo at the end.

Benjamin took the baton from Deadmon in first place and remained in front of Tebogo for the entirety of the final 400 meters.

Tebogo unsurprisingly made a surge in the final 100 meters to try and take gold from the United States with his sprinting pace.

Benjamin held off Tebogo and finished one-tenth of a second in front of him to continue the successful Olympics on track for Team USA.

Chris Bailey opened the race for Team USA with a 44.50-second split. The times went significantly lower after the opening 400 meters.

Norwood, who won gold on the 4x400 mixed relay team, delivered a 43.30-second split. Deadmon used a blistering pace from the start to put up a 43.50-second split on the third leg.

Team USA now owns 13 gold medals from the track and field events in Paris. Seven of those medals have been won by male champions and six of those victories in the men's events were on the track.