James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Rai Benjamin of the United States earned his first gold medal with a scintillating performance in the 400-meter hurdles on Friday.
Benjamin was the silver medalist in Tokyo in 2021 and finally beat his nemesis Karsten Warholm on the big stage. He posted a time of 46.46 seconds to finish ahead of world record-holder Warholm of Norway. The Norwegian crossed the finish line in 47.06.
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The US women’s 4×100 relay team also scored gold after being clocked in 41.78 seconds. Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabby Thomas, and Sha’Carri Richardson were the winning foursome. Thomas won her second gold in the Paris Olympics with a strong effort while her three teammates got their first.
Olivia Reeves became the first U.S. weightlifter, male or female, to win gold since 2000 when she won the 71kg (157 pounds) division. Reeves had an overall score of 262kg (578 pounds). She set an Olympic record in the snatch with a lift of 117kg (258 pounds). Get used to seeing her on the podium. She is just 21 and lives and breathes weightlifting.
On the flip side, the favored U.S. men’s 4×100 relay team came up short in the event’s final when Christian Coleman and Kenny Bednarek botched a handoff and the team was disqualified.
Below you can find a complete look at the current medal count, including the gold count for each country.
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