Cray’s final wish: Olympics
HANOI, Vietnam — Filipino-American speedster Eric Cray has got a few more things left on his bucket list.
At 33, Cray knows his athletic career is entering the twilight zone and before he rides into the sunset, he would love to suit up in the Olympic Games.
Fresh from ruling the 400 hurdles in the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Cray expressed his burning desire to fulfill a lifelong dream.
Cray is eyeing a stint in the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I feel like I have got one more chance and try the Olympics one more time,” Cray said at the My Dinh Stadium where he beat an opposition bursting with youth and talent.
Cray said he could have given Tokyo a try but he “got hurt” and a few other unfortunate things took place.
“I got hurt last year, pulled my hamstring. My agent passed away. A lot of stuff went on last year during Covid,” Cray said.
Since competing for the Philippines in 2013, Cray has amassed seven SEA Games gold, a silver and two bronze medals.
I feel like I have got one more chance and try the Olympics one more time.
Outside the SEA Games, Cray also took top honors in the 2017 Asian championships and a bronze in the Asian Indoor.
A former member of the Bethune-Cookman University varsity team in the US NCA, Cray holds the Philippine record of 48.98 seconds in the 400 hurdles, a feat he established in 2016.
In winning his latest gold, Cray said he knew right from the start that he had the race in the bag. “When I got out, I knew I had enough left,” he said, adding that he was dead-certain of retaining his SEA crown with a flourish.