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MacBruin
Joined: 8/27/06 Posts: 4,641

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Final Tally for Bruins in the Olympic T&F Trials
Posted Mon, Jul 01 4:09 pm (Edited Mon, Jul 01 4:22 pm)
If UCLA claims an affiliation with Rai Benjamin, who transfered to SC (1st in the 400m hurdles) and Justin Stafford, who graduated and is an assistant coach at Kansas State (3rd in the hammer throw), then the Bruins will have a presence on the U.S. Olympic team. Also, as I mentioned in an earlier post, UCLA's new T&F head coach, Joanna Hayes, trains Rai as well as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke the world record--again--in the 400m hurdles yesterday in Eugene. Sydney may well be the most dominant track athlete in the world right now. My lucky brother and his wife got to see her latest conquest in person. If you didn't watch her record-breaking performance on NBC, as I did, I'll post a link to the video of her amazing race in a separate post.

Here are the "UCLA Representatives" at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Rai Benjamin – men's 400m hurdles – 1st, 46.46 (leading time in '24)
Justin Stafford – men's hammer throw – 3rd, 77.07m (252-10)
Kris Emig – men's hammer throw – 23rd, 66.68m (218-9)
Mayyi Mahama – women's hammer throw – 19th, 63.65m (208-10)
Michael Pinckney – men's discus – 18th, 57.77m (189-6)
Willington Wright – men's 400m – 21st, 45.55
Ka'Leila Abrille – women's pole vault – 14th, 4.35m (14-3 ¼)
MacBruin
Joined: 8/27/06 Posts: 4,641

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Breaks the 400m Hurdles WR
Posted Mon, Jul 01 4:25 pm (Edited Mon, Jul 01 4:41 pm)
In response to Final Tally for Bruins in the Olympic T&F Trials (MacBruin)
Here's the link to the video I mentioned in my previous post. Watch and be amazed. She just glides and destroys a strong field of competitors. My apologies for the white space below the link. I couldn't get rid of it. There's a bonus video waiting at the bottom of the vast expanse of blank space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCGzmLOEePE



Here's a bonus video of Rai Benjamin's win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdnFfD_dMTE

MacBruin
Joined: 8/27/06 Posts: 4,641

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One More Trials Race Worth Watching
Posted Mon, Jul 01 4:48 pm
In response to Final Tally for Bruins in the Olympic T&F Trials (MacBruin)
Bryce Hoppel redefines what it means to have lots left in his tank on the home stretch of the men's 800m final. Again, sorry about all the white space (sigh).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rddcTW0m1b8

GoBru
Joined: 6/10/24 Posts: 64
I'm pretty sure rai benjamin graduated from UCLA then
Posted Wed, Jul 03 5:07 am
In response to Final Tally for Bruins in the Olympic T&F Trials (MacBruin)
Transferred....he's so good
MacBruin
Joined: 8/27/06 Posts: 4,641

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Benjamin Spent Two Seasons at UCLA...
Posted Fri, Jul 05 10:28 am
In response to I'm pretty sure rai benjamin graduated from UCLA then (GoBru)
...then he transferred to USC and graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in political science. We'd like to claim him as a UCLA grad, but we can't.

In the Paris Olympics, Rai will be one of the favorites to win the 400m hurdles, but it won't be a two-man battle. Yes, Karsten Warholm will probably blast to the front in the final race and try to hang on for the win, but Benjamin and Alison Dos Santos will be reeling him in at the finish. Should be a classic. Here's a link to the race in which Dos Santos emerged as a legitimate threat to Warholm and Benjamin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKWWoyUJDQA