TOKYO — Na wah oh! As U.S. sprinter Rai Benjamin waka cross the finish line for him 400-meter hurdles race on Friday, e no just be gold medal we go remember am for. E dem don DQ am after him finish time of 46.52 seconds! Wetin person go do?
So, as Benjamin dey jubilate for him victory, na im dem come slide one note for live results say DQ (Disqualified). The code dey mean say him break World Athletics rule wey talk about ‘knocking down hurdle wey fit affect another athlete.’ Na wah! So, wetin happen? As he dey charge towards the last hurdle, his front leg mistakenly brush the hurdle and knock am down. E no just end there, the hurdle join vex scatter some people matter wey dey run beside am.
Nigeria’s own Ezekiel Nathaniel wey dey run for lane six still manage clear the hurdle despite the wahala and he finish fourth. This whole drama na as e be, Benjamin first take gold, then dem give am DQ, but after video referee don review the video, dem come restore am back to him rightful place. Talk about suspense, abi?
Well, Benjamin carry standard with him gold at last summer Paris Olympics and even hold America record of 46.17 seconds. After the race, him talk say, ‘I clip the hurdle because my legs don dey feel lactic,’ after intense running wey make am push past hurdles eight and nine too quick. Na him own padi Alison Dos Santos, wey collect silver, come tell am say he don DQ after dem finish run.
“E be like rollercoaster out there,” Benjamin talk; he dey reason am as ‘wetin be World Championships without small drama?’ But make we reason am, no be intentional o! He get plans for next year, no more hurdles for am as he wan focus on 200m and flat 400m.
For the crowd wey dey watch, confusion plenty. Many spectators feel say na crazy side of sports wey dem DQ am after him win. Nathaniel even talk say the whole thing no really affect am much: “He hit the hurdles, but that no really affect me.” E be like say Nathaniel get mind.
In case you dey wonder, those wey dey gists about this drama wey dey happen after race be plenty. Brazil‘s Dos Santos wey dey keep an eye on this matter say, “He no do anything wrong,” but true talk na say he want win by him own power, no be because say person gree make something fall. Even Norway’s Warholm join talk say, “Benjamin deserve the gold.”
And for the record, make we no forget the names wey follow dem finish: Rai Benjamin (USA), wey collect gold; Alison Dos Santos (BRA), silver; and Abderrahman Samba (QAT), bronze. E be like say 2026 go be one year wey no get World Championship or Olympics since 2020. So, na so we go see some athletes dey try new events.
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