Rai Benjamin has echoed fellow Olympic champion Grant Holloway’s sentiments on the one thing about being a track and field athlete that is ‘stupid as f***’.
Reigning Olympic 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin has echoed Grant Holloway’s sentiments about the intense pressure and sacrifices that come with being a track and field athlete.
Speaking on the Beyond the Records podcast, which he co-hosts with Holloway and Noah Lyles, Benjamin agreed that the Olympic process, while rewarding, places an almost unbearable strain on athletes, often leaving them questioning its worth.
Benjamin joined Holloway in criticizing the quadrennial structure of the Olympics, which demands years of preparation for a fleeting chance at glory.
Grant Hollloway, who is the reigning 110mH Olympic champion, has revealed the one thing about being a track and field athlete that is ‘stupid as f***’ .
“As far as the stupid as f*** thing goes, it’s crazy the amount of work that you have to do,” Benjamin remarked.
For American athletes, the stakes are even higher, as Benjamin highlighted the unforgiving nature of the U.S. trials. “The USAs is the hardest meet in the world,” he said.
“I experienced things there I did not experience at the Olympics. For some reason, I just could not stop hitting hurdles, and I never hit them.”
Benjamin explained the immense pressure to perform at the trials, as the U.S. team selection process is based solely on performance.
“Everybody tries their ass off to make this team because you get this one shot,” he added. “Whoever shows up and is best on that day makes the Olympics. You train four years for one single moment, and if it doesn’t go your way, it is just devastating.”
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Noah Lyles almost never uses this one tactic in his racing that he was forced to use thanks to Kishane Thompson’s threat in the final of the 100m at the Paris Olympics.
The 400m hurdles star acknowledged the sacrifices required to reach the pinnacle of the sport, from rigorous training schedules to relying on a team of specialists, including coaches, nutritionists, and chiropractors.
“You are trusting and paying them to get you to a certain point,” Benjamin said. “At a certain point, you put in all this time, and you have two events, USAs and the Olympics.”
Benjamin also reflected on the role of luck in such high-stakes competitions. “You prep, you’re well-prepared, feeling good, but so is everyone else,” he said. “Sometimes you say to yourself, ‘Why did it happen to me today? Why was this the moment?’”
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Rai Benjamin has explained the quality about Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone that makes her indomitable after shattering the 400m hurdles record for the sixth time in the Paris 2024 Olympic final.
Despite the challenges, Benjamin acknowledged the importance of gratitude and perspective. “You have to have a sense of gratitude because everyone woke up that day with the mindset to win,” he said.
Benjamin didn’t shy away from discussing the personal costs of being a professional athlete. “You don’t get paid enough, and that’s because you sacrifice so much,” he noted. “You miss out on so much and don’t have the ability to live your 20s like everyone else, but on a random Wednesday, it’s worth it.”
Benjamin and Holloway’s candid remarks reveal the duality of life as an elite track and field athlete. While the pursuit of Olympic glory can be rewarding, the journey is fraught with sacrifices, pressure, and moments of doubt.
