Eric Shauwn Brazas Cray (born November 6, 1988) is a Filipino-American

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete who competes in

sprinting Sprinting is running over a short distance at the top-most speed of the body in a limited period of time. It is used in many sports that incorporate running, typically as a way of quickly reaching a target or goal, or avoiding or catching an op ...

and

hurdling Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

events. He represented the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, competing in the hurdles. He won gold medals at the

Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supe ...

in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Cray currently holds the Filipino national record for the

400 metres hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Olympic athletics programme since 1900 for men and since 1984 for women. On a standard outdoor track, 400 metres is the length of the inside lane, once ...

and

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...

Early life and education

Cray was born in

Olongapo Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo ( fil, Lungsod ng Olongapo; ilo, Siudad ti Olongapo; xsb, Siyodad nin Olongapo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales ...

, before moving to

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

to Ellis Jr. and Maria Cray Fish. His mother is a Filipina caregiver working in the U.S., while his father is an American cab driver. He has three sisters. He studied at James Madison High School in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the United States for his secondary education. He has a degree in Education at

Bethune–Cookman University Bethune–Cookman University (BCU or Bethune–Cookman) is a private historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bethune–Cookman University is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The primary administration building, White ...

and a master's degree in Human Relations at

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

Career

Cray took up track and field when he was still in high school, competing for the James Madison High School at the district , regional and state championships. He also competed for the Bethune-Cookman University at the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

of the United States. He holds dual American-Filipino dual citizenship but decided to compete for the Philippines in December 2011 upon the request of his mother. The application to compete for the Philippines was approved in 2013 by the IAAF. He set a new national record and games record in the 400 m hurdles while winning at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, setting a time of 49.40 seconds. Cray managed to win a bronze at the 60 m event at the

2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships The 2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships was the seventh edition of the international indoor athletics event between Asian nations. It took place at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, between 19 and 21 February. Three new women's Asian indoor r ...

. While he only finished seventh in the 400 m hurdles semifinals at the 2016 Summer Olympics with a time of 49.37 seconds, which itself already broke his national and Southeast Asian Games record, he set a better record earlier during the Heat 4 qualifying event with a time of 49.05. Cray won the gold medal at the 400 meter hurdles event at the

2017 Asian Athletics Championships The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships was the 22nd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships. It was held from 6 to 9 July 2017 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India. Bhubaneswar was the third Indian city to host Asian Championships ...

clocking 49.57 seconds ending his country's 8 year gold drought in the continental tournament. Cray took the silver in the 60m Dash at the 2017 Asian Indoor Games in Asghartan, Turkmenistan. At the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, Cray had a poor opening to his campaign after he was disqualified in the 100 meter run after two false starts. However he redeemed himself after winning the gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles and the helped in clinching the gold for his country in the mixed-gender 4x100 relay event.

Personal life

In 2015, Cray reportedly has a fiancé and two children. His sisters are involved in sports; two were track and field athletes and one is a basketball coach, and another is a licensed cosmetologist. He considers American sprinter Michael Johnson as his hero in the sport.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cray, Eric Shauwn 1988 births Living people Sportspeople from Olongapo Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Filipino male hurdlers Filipino male sprinters World Athletics Championships athletes for the Philippines Filipino people of African-American descent Bethune–Cookman University alumni Olympic track and field athletes for the Philippines SEA Games medalists in athletics University of Oklahoma alumni SEA Games gold medalists for the Philippines SEA Games silver medalists for the Philippines SEA Games bronze medalists for the Philippines Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Asian Games Asian Games competitors for the Philippines Competitors at the 2013 SEA Games Competitors at the 2015 SEA Games Competitors at the 2017 SEA Games Competitors at the 2019 SEA Games Competitors at the 2021 SEA Games Competitors at the 2023 SEA Games