Golden Victory: From Cricket to the Olympics
The Antiguans are celebrating the Olympics with great enthusiasm, and the Winston Benjamin family from the small Caribbean island is experiencing an extra dose of high. The former West Indian pacer, not exactly known for his overt display of emotions, is overjoyed by his son's 'golden' feat in Paris. "It's a surreal feeling," he says.
"I have never met anyone who would have experienced a similar feeling; it was a surreal moment. I'm very happy for his achievement, because I know how much he worked, I know how hard it was for him and how much he really wanted it," Benjamin, typically a fearsome fast bowler of the West Indies cricket's golden era, told Cricbuzz. His son, Rai Benjamin, won the gold medal in the 400 meters hurdles a couple of nights ago in Paris, continuing the United States' gold rush in track and field disciplines at the Games.
"He's an American. He was born in the US, so we are celebrating him just as much as the Americans are," the 59-year-old West Indian, who featured in 21 Tests and 85 ODIs in the 80s and 90s, said. "I know what it meant for him to win an individual gold in particular. I know how hard he had been working, and I know that at the end of the day, he didn't leave any stone unturned. And to accomplish such a feat, it's phenomenal," Benjamin said.
Rai, 27, who finished second behind Warholm in Tokyo, matched his season's best time of 46.46 seconds in the Paris race. During those intense 46 seconds, Benjamin experienced a whirlwind of emotions while his son competed against a strong field. He recalled those tense moments.
"I was just wheeling him on from the stands. I knew (he could win) once they were together, coming over the curve on the home stretch. Most of my focus was how he started. I said to his mom, he had a different risk today because he could not see his main challengers. And then in order for him to stay, he was going to have to work on push. At the start of the race, he was striving for Warholm. I think because of the lane draw, and I knew he was feeling fit and strong, and he just went out and executed that up. I said to myself, this is it."
Rai, one of Benjamin's six children, initially explored cricket and American football - he was a fast bowler and then a quarterback -- before ultimately focusing on track events. Antigua's athletics coach recognised his potential and encouraged him to pursue athletics. Rai competed for Antigua before moving to the US.
