The three greatest one-lap hurdlers in history will resume their explosive rivalry when they face each other twice in the space of three days at the Wanda Diamond League meetings in Oslo and Stockholm next month.
Olympic champion Rai Benjamin (USA), world record holder Karsten Warholm (Norway) and Wanda Diamond League champion Alison Dos Santos (Brazil) have dominated the 400m hurdles in recent years, winning every title on offer and pushing the event to previously unthinkable speeds.
Together, they hold 19 of the top 20 fastest 400m hurdles times in history and won all medals at both the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
Direct clashes between the three men have tended to be rare outside the major championships, but now they will meet twice in the space of one weekend in two crucial Diamond League clashes.
In Oslo, the trio will face each other in the 300m hurdles for the very first time.
Warholm set a new world best of 33.05m over the shorter distance at the Diamond League season opener in Xiamen last month, and will be hoping to defend or even improve that record on home soil at the Bislett Games.
Three days later, the showdown will continue in the 400m hurdles in Stockholm.
“It will be a fantastic weekend with 300m hurdles in Oslo on Thursday and then 400m hurdles in Stockholm on Sunday, both with the three fastest of all time,” said Benjamin, who will be competing at both meetings for the first time in his career.
“This is the first time I will compete in these two historic competitions, which makes it even more interesting. What more could you want?”
Warholm, who is guaranteed home support in Oslo, said he was also hoping for a rousing reception from his fellow Scandinavians in Sweden.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s extra exciting and fun when the best compete in the same race. I have always enjoyed the Olympic Stadium. It is a good atmosphere and I get close to the crowd on lane seven so it is extra fun,” he said.
The last time the three men met in the Diamond League was at last year’s Herculis EBS Monaco, when Benjamin won with an impressive 46.67.
A few weeks later, the American followed up with victory at Paris 2024, dethroning Warholm as Olympic champion.
The Norwegian remains the fastest man ever over both the 400m hurdles and the 300m hurdles, however, and the only man ever to have gone below 46 seconds in the full-lap event.
Dos Santos, meanwhile, has been the most consistent of the three in the Diamond League in recent years, and heads to Oslo and Stockholm as series title holder after regaining the Diamond Trophy in 2024.
The Wanda Diamond League is the elite one-day meeting series in global athletics. It comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field. Athletes compete for points at the 14 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Wanda Diamond League Final, which will be held in Zurich on 27 and 28 August 2025.
