SAINT-DENIS, France — Everything that makes Rai Benjamin such an effective anchor leg was on display. Required by the task.

Officially, he had a quarter-of-a-second lead when he got the baton from Bryce Deadmon. It took a monster 43.54-second run from Deadmon to drag the U.S. from third place to a small lead. The anchor just had to do what he does. Close.

Here is the major problem Benjamin had this time: Letsile Tebogo of Botswana. The same sprinter who ran the men’s 200-meter final in 19.4 seconds to win gold.

“I run the 400 hurdles,” Benjamin said, “so I’d like to think that my engine is bigger than his. But nineteen-four? We cannot sleep on that.

“And just the sheer talent that he has. … That’s generational right there. The kid’s freaking great.”

So it was time for Benjamin’s experience to kick in. For his strategy. For his speed. For his patience and poise.

For his loyalty.

“Somebody cracked a joke in there … that had to do with Noah (Lyles),” Benjamin said. “Oh they cracking jokes? … You guys about to get punished right now.”

Rai Benjamin holds off Letsile Tebogo to anchor Team USA to gold in the 4x400m relay! #ParisOlympics

📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/MhJbrRH43D

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024

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The men’s 4×400 relay has been contested now in 26 Olympiads. America has won 19 of them, including nine of the last 11.

This comes one night after the 4×100 relay team — featuring some of the fastest men in the world — squandered their chance at gold. After getting disqualified for the first exchange happening out of the zone, American sprint legend Carl Lewis demanded an overhaul of that relay program, which hasn’t won a medal since 2004 or a gold since 2000.

“They know my number if they want me,” said sprint legend Maurice Greene, part of the last gold medal 4×100 relay team. “It’s just terrible. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t have won.”

But those problems don’t extend to the other relay. (Of course, the hand-offs are far less intense when you have an entire lap to run.)

The 400-meter runners aren’t the most glorified of America’s sprinters. They’re gold medalists and record holders in their own right. But their names aren’t on the marquee of USA Track and Field. Yet they’ve consistently gotten the job done.

The Paris Games proved to be no different. But it wasn’t easy.

The gamesmanship began early. In the call room before the runners took the track, Benjamin said Botswana organized as if Tebogo wasn’t running anchor. The ploy didn’t work, though. They all knew Tebogo would finish.

“And I knew it was gonna be a fight coming home,” Benjamin said, “so it was probably my most calculated anchor leg that I’ve run since I’ve been anchoring this relay for the past couple (of) years.”

Benjamin clarified the joke about Lyles was harmless and it wasn’t Botswana. He wouldn’t say anything more than it wasn’t anything offensive or derogatory. Just part of the mind games that go on behind the scenes, and that he didn’t like it. Because in the throes of competition, any banter is a salvo. It’s all motivation.

It takes more than mind games to beat Benjamin, who couldn’t remember the last time he lost a relay in which he anchored.

“Maybe in high school,” he said. “Maybe.”

He now has two Olympic championships as the anchor, including the last Olympics in Tokyo. He also has two gold medals from the World Championships as anchor. And two NCAA championships, outdoor and indoor, as anchor.

Is he America’s greatest closer ever?

“Michael Norman,” Benjamin said after a pregnant pause. “Yes. You’ve seen Michael Norman flat-out run forty-three-oh in Sacramento. Straight gas. Look it up.”

Indeed, Norman ran a 43.06 for USC in the NCAA West preliminary round at Sacramento State in 2018. Benjamin ran the first leg in that race.

“When Michael’s healthy and he’s firing on all cylinders,” Benjamin said. “A dangerous guy.”

On this night, the dangerous guy was Tebogo, and all the U.S. had was Benjamin. He played a perfect game of chess, knowing the 400 meters is uncomfortably long for the elite sprinter from Botswana. Benjamin went fast enough so Tebogo had to work hard and drain some energy. But Benjamin couldn’t go too fast so as not to burn himself out. He was going to need his closing speed.

For 200 meters, with Tebogo’s breath on his neck, Benjamin worked his strategy. He stayed patient, focused on himself and his race. He didn’t look up at the jumbotron to monitor Tebogo. Benjamin let his feel and instincts guide him. Then, at the right time, “just kick like hell coming home.”

Tebogo’s speed was countered. Benjamin’s lead was preserved. And the gold medal was America’s.

“Because,” Vernon Norwood said of Benjamin, “he’s Captain America.”

Required reading

(Photo: Hannah Peters / Getty Images)

After looking slow and unsteady during spring practices, UCLA’s presumed top running back has displayed more of his usual burst during the first two weeks of fall camp.

Part of his progression, Foster said, can be attributed to dropping some weight, and another part to learning new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s playbook.

“He looks more explosive because he knows the plays a little bit more, you know what I mean?” Foster said. “When you’re thinking and going, it’s kind of different and kind of hard. So, I think he’s a little bit more comfortable with the offense.”

Keegan Jones, who appeared to be pushing Harden for the starting role in the spring, also made several nice plays. Anthony Frias II, a transfer from Kansas State, did not make much of an impression in his limited carries. The Bruins are still waiting for Jalen Berger, a transfer from Michigan State, to work his way into shape before making his debut in team periods.

CHICAGO — Early in the first dugout news conference of his interim managing career, Grady Sizemore was asked lightheartedly whether he ever envisioned being the Chicago White Sox manager back when he was an All-Star outfielder for a division rival.

Now that certainly would be an oddly specific career goal for a guy from Seattle who was playing in Cleveland, but who knows, maybe he really liked the smell of grilled onions and the taunts of angry, liquored-up fans.

In any event, that’s where his life has taken him: managing the White Sox as they try to escape the throes of baseball infamy.

Sitting next to him was the Sox general manager Chris Getz, who was drafted by and debuted with the White Sox. I don’t think he ever dreamed of taking Kenny Williams’ job back when he was manning second base for the club.

But as the Chicago Cubs and White Sox started the second leg of their crosstown series, the reality is Getz is in charge of the worst team in baseball and Sizemore is in charge of managing it (while Getz looks for someone more experienced to do the job full time).

It’s not ideal, but hey, it’s not all milkshakes and hot dogs on the South Side.

Sizemore’s tenure began much like the Pedro Grifol one ended — with a loss. When Sizemore made his first pitching change in the third inning, the Sox were scoreless and down by six runs. The Sox rallied, but the Cubs ended up winning 7-6.

With 44 games left, what is left for the Sox (28-90) to accomplish this season? Well, that’s easy. Win 15 games.

Some teams strive to make history. The White Sox need to avoid it.

The 1962 New York Mets have the modern baseball record for futility with 120 losses and the Sox need to finish with (at least) one fewer defeat. They don’t want to tie the Mets and they most definitely don’t want to finish with 121 losses. Sure, 119 losses would tie them with the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the AL’s worst mark, but no one uses that Tigers team as shorthand for the “worst ever.” A lot of people outside of Chicago (and Houston) forget the White Sox won a World Series in 2005. No one will forget this team if they lose 121.

The Sox get picked on a lot, both locally and nationally, for their many, many embarrassing failures, but ducking historical mockery should be the goal for the last seven weeks.

It was 7-0 entering the 4th.
Will the Chicago White Sox win this game……of course not.
pic.twitter.com/cirPuv4uET

— Wretched 24 White Sox (@SultanOfClout) August 10, 2024

They already dodged the all-time record for consecutive losses in a season. Now comes sidestepping the season record.

They didn’t get off to a good start at silencing their haters Friday, but after this two-game set with the Cubs, they get … uh-oh … the New York Yankees. Yeah, it’s not going to be easy.

GO DEEPER

Quirks of the schedule: The teams (and players) who have an easier way forward

Before Friday’s game against the Cubs, Getz reiterated what he said the day before after he mercifully fired manager Grifol after a slower-than-expected 89-190 start to his managing career — that he’s not overtly focused on the ’62 Mets. However …

“I don’t think anyone in this organization wants to be associated (with) a record we could potentially have,” Getz said.

So though it’s not an organizational mandate to avoid 120, it’s not a goal.

“There is always something to play for in this game,” Getz said. “Grady and I have talked about that at length. We want our players to play for something greater than themselves.”

In theory, a 15-29 run over the last seven weeks isn’t asking for too much. But for this Sox team, it just might be.

After all, they have only won 28 times in 118 tries. There’s not much to go on to believe they can make even a modest run. After a 3-22 start, they went 12-12. But then they lost a franchise-record 14 straight games.

GO DEEPER

1961 Phillies understand what the 2024 White Sox were going through: Sliders

Given the state of the team — with Erick Fedde in St. Louis, Garrett Crochet’s remaining innings growing fewer, a lineup that doesn’t score runs and an often-calamitous bullpen — it’s hard to envision them catching a spark, let alone fire.

But again, 15 wins in 44 games. It’s not like asking them to even have a winning month, something they haven’t sniffed this season.

So can Sizemore, who as a Cleveland player once famously dropped a fly ball in late September 2005 that helped the White Sox clinch a division title, be the spark the team needs? Judging by his career record of talking to reporters, he’s not going to give any Knute Rockne speeches. But the players know Sizemore was a gamer and an All-Star. He’s 41, but he looks 10 years younger. They seem to respect him. Imagine if they knew about his history as a Cleveland sex symbol.

“Great attitude, great energy and we’re excited,” veteran first baseman Andrew Vaughn said.

In reality, it’s not about what Sizemore specifically brings. Change itself, a new voice, a wake-up call, could help this team end the season with a shred of dignity. That’s the idea anyway.

GO DEEPER

Greenberg: Pedro Grifol and the White Sox are better off without each other

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Getz fired three coaches along with Grifol, but Sizemore has two bench coaches and incumbent pitching coach Ethan Katz to help him finish the season. This is all new for him. He was a $15 hourly intern for the Arizona Diamondbacks at this point last year and used his connections with Josh Barfield, now Getz’s assistant GM, to land a job on the Sox coaching staff this year.

He went from intern to “major-league coach” in a year. Now he’s a big-league manager. What a year.

“It still hasn’t really sunk in,” Sizemore said before the game. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. Just too excited, too anxious. Still doesn’t feel real.”

I’m sure it felt a little more real after watching Crochet give up four homers in 2 1/3 innings. That’s the White Sox’s version of a cold shower, and if there’s a counterbalancing Sizemore Effect, maybe it takes a few games.

Neither Sizemore nor the players I talked to would take the bait about trying to avert infamy. And of course, if they knew how to win, we wouldn’t be talking about this streak.

Do you know how odd it is to ask questions about the 1962 Mets? Losing 100 games is difficult for even the worst teams. Imagine losing 120 in one season.

The trade deadline is over. Grifol is out. There is nothing left but winning those 15 games.

“Just like when you’re playing, all you can really focus on is what you can control,” Sizemore said. “My focus is not on outside factors or records of other teams, it’s on the guys. What can I do to put them in the best possible position to succeed? Focusing or worrying about outside factors is just a waste of time.”

So was this White Sox season. The very least they can do is not end it as the worst team in baseball history.

(Photo: Griffin Quinn / Getty Images)