Two of the all-time greats in the 400m hurdles won’t race each other in 2018. 

Collegiate record holder Rai Benjamin told the IAAF after his 200m race in Lausanne that he isn’t racing the event again this season eliminating any chance that he'd compete against Abderrahman Samba before next year. 

“There’s no need for me to do 400m hurdles anymore. It’s been a long collegiate season and it’s time to rest up a bit, so I won’t be racing Samba until next year,” the 20-year-old said after he placed second in the 200m at the Paris Diamond League. 

In the same meet Samba, the 22-year-old from Qatar, continued his phenomenal 2018, running 46.98 to move to No. 2 all-time in the event and bumping Benjamin a spot down the list. The USC junior, who announced that he is forgoing his final season of eligibility to run professional, posted a 47.02 at the NCAA Championships to smash the collegiate record. The mark was a huge personal best for Benjamin and moved him within striking distance of Kevin Young’s world record of 46.78. 

Even before Samba’s response in Paris there was talk about what would happen when the two men faced off. 

Neither has had serious competition this year in the event. Samba is a perfect five for five in Diamond League races, with all five at 47.60 or faster. Saturday was Benjamin’s first race in Europe. Because he was competing in the NCAA season and has yet to earn any Diamond League points he is mathematically eliminated from reaching the Diamond League final. 

Samba, meanwhile, will get at least two more cracks at the world record. He’s entered in Thursday’s Diamond League final and is almost assuredly competing in the Diamond League final in Zurich on August 30.