Rai Benjamin Responds to Fans Questioning His World Athletics Nomination Over Collen Kebinatshipi

Olympic 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin has been nominated by World Athletics for the 2025 Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, sparking mixed reactions among fans.

Benjamin earned the nod after winning the 400m hurdles title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, with a time of 46.52 seconds.

Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos finished second in 46.84, while Abderrahman Samba claimed third with 47.06.

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The American hurdler also recorded two of the top three 400m hurdles performances of the year, which automatically saw him get nominated.

Following his nomination, several fans questioned World Athletics, insisting that Rai Benjamin did not deserve a spot among the nominees.

Some argued that Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi should have been chosen instead, highlighting his impressive World Championships performance, which included gold medals in both the 400m and 4x400m men’s relay.

“Just seeing this, I’ve got to ask @WorldAthletics, really, how does this person get a nomination? There are others far more deserving, especially given their individual performances,” one fan tweeted.

“Repost this if it should have been Collen Kebinatshipi instead of Rai Benjamin!” another added.

“So Kebinatshipi is a field athlete? World 400m Champion 🥇, World 4x400m Champion 🥇, National Record Holder (43.53), WL, Botswana’s first-ever male world champion, and the 10th fastest 400m in history,” another fan questioned.

Rai Benjamin responded to the criticism, defending his nomination and urging fans to celebrate his achievements.

“lol I’m literally world champion… what are you on about 😂😂😂?” he tweeted, adding, “Some of y’all need to get that hate out ya heart… you’ll be happier for it!”

Leading the charge in the sprints is Noah Lyles. The American continued his dominance over the half-lap, finishing the year unbeaten in the 200m, a run which included defending his World title in Tokyo.

He solidified his status as a sprint powerhouse by also anchoring the victorious USA men's 4x100m relay team and adding a bronze medal in the 100m.

In the distance events, Jimmy Gressier enjoyed a breakout year that captured the world's attention. Gressier shocked the field to take gold in the gruelling 10,000m at the World Championships, securing France's first-ever win over the distance.

He backed up this historic performance with a bronze in the 5000m and also claimed the Diamond League title over 3000m, demonstrating remarkable versatility.

The hurdles category sees an American standout in Cordell Tinch. After an unconventional journey back to elite athletics, Tinch completely dominated the 110m hurdles.

He ended the season as both the World Champion and the Diamond League winner, having posted the world-leading time and four of the year's top six performances, including a blistering 12.87 to become the joint-fourth fastest man in history.

Finally, Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi cemented his position as the world's premier 800m runner. The 21-year-old was peerless over the two-lap event, securing both the World Championship and Diamond League titles.

His consistent, front-running excellence was underlined by him clocking four of the year's top six performances, including a championship record of 1:41.86 in Tokyo.