Last Updated on March 20, 2023 by Andrew Pirie
Eric Cray 2021
The Great Eric Cray Makes it title #5 at SEA Games
A Piece of History, The Great Eric Cray, proving once again why he is the greatest Hurdler in SEA Games History notching up his 5th consecutive title in the SEA Games 400 Hurdles. And his 7th SEA Games gold medal since he started in 2013 with the Philippine Team. He has 5 in the 400 Hurdles, 1 in the 100m, and the most prestigious of them all 1 in the 4×100 MIXED RELAY!
Cray was forced to withdraw from the 4×100 and 100m due to sciatic nerve issues with his hamstrings. But was able to stitch together another stunning Hurdles victory at the age of 33. Being pushed to the line by long-time rival Quach Cong Lich.
Cray said he would like to aim for one more 400 Hurdles Olympics in 2024 (at which time he would then be 36 years of age). Cray competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and made the semi-finals in the 400 Hurdles finishing 18th of 24. But due to unforeseen circumstances in Europe narrowly missed out on qualifying for Tokyo in 2021.
SEA Games Record: 49.40 – Eric Cray/ Philippines/ 2015 SEA Games / Kallang, Singapore 17/05/2022 71 No. BIB NAME DOB COUNTRY Seed Time Remark 72
1 524 ERIC SHAUWN CRAY BRAZAS 06/11/1988 PHILIPPINES 50.41 73
2 818 QUACH CONG LICH 27/08/1993 VIETNAM 50.82 74
3 621 QUEK JUN JIE CALVIN 26/2/1996 SINGAPORE 51.19 75
4 817 NGUYEN DUC SON 11/03/1999 VIETNAM 51.40 76
5 538 FRANCIS MEDINA TIAGA 28/07/1996 PHILIPPINES 51.77 77
6 210 HALOMOAN BINSAR EDWIN 20/12/2000 INDONESIA 51.93 78
7 709 NATHAPHON DANSUNGNOEN 16/09/1997 THAILAND 52.86 79
8 710 CHAIWAT THONGJAMROON 25/04/2000
THAILAND DNF SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR MORE GREAT VIDEOS CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON BELOW
Eric Cray Opens in 2022
Eric Cray opens his 2022 Season on January 15, at the UAB Vulcan Invitational in Birmingham Alabama. Cray finished 3rd in the 200m with times of 22.16 and 5th in the 400m with 48.93 both indoors. Cray is looking at making it his 5th SEA Games title in the Men’s 400 Hurdles in Hanoi SEA Games staged May 10-23.
The 33-year-old Eric Cray has won 5 SEA Games Individual Golds and 1 Relay Gold since he started with the National team 9 years ago.
“Good Meeting onto the next” Posted a Fully Bearded-up Cray on his Instagram account.
Eric Cray bounces back with his first sub-50 since 2018
It has been over 3 years since The Great Eric Cray has dipped under 50 seconds. His last feat was at the 2018 Osaka Memorial where he clocked 49.68 on May 6, 2018. Surprisingly Eric clocked the same time of 49.68 earlier today with a third-place run. Eric finished third behind Gerald Drummond (49.47) of Costa Rica and Shawn Rowe (49.53) of Jamaica at the NACAC New Life Invitational in Miramar, Florida.
Eric also beat Quincy Hall who had won the A-Race last weekend in Florida. Hall who ran 49.05 last week could only manage 49.82. Last week Cray won the B-Race in 50.40. In 5th place was former Olympian Jaheel Hyde of Jamaica in 49.86.
Eric Cray is a 4x SEA Games Champion, and 2017 Asian Champion in the 400 Hurdles. Made the 400 Hurdles Semi-Finals at the 2016 Rio Olympics finishing 18th or 24th overall.
He has improved his performance in every race from 51.61, 51.20, 50.84, 50.77, 50.40, and now 49.68. The minimal standard for qualifying for the Olympics based on ranking sits at 49.42. With the outright standard at 48.90. So far 20 men have run under 48.90, with the next 20 under 49.42. Eric has until June 29 to improve his times to qualify for Tokyo meaning every week now counts.
Eric Cray wins Men’s B Race in another Seasons Best
June 1, 2021
4X SEA Games Champion Eric Cray won the Mens B Race of the American Track League at Duval County on 31 May 2021. Cray has improved his season’s best in each race with 51.61, 51.20, 50.84, and 50.77. And in his latest stint 50.40. Cray won from Rilwan Alowonle (Nigeria, 50.98) and Jordin Andrade (Cape Verde, 51.72).
Eric has until June 29 to better the Olympic standard of 48.90, or at least be the 40th best ranked 49.42.
The A Race was won by Quincy Hall (the USA, 49.04), Amere Lattin (the USA, 49.34), and Andre Clarke (JAM, 49.48).
At the same meet, other Philippine Olympic hopefuls Natalie Uy was 4th of 4 with 4.20m and Kristina Knott 7th in Heat 2 in 11.50 of the 100 Meters.
For a full list of Top Ranks for the Olympics
Eric Cray 50.84 and 50.77
Meets differing from the original schedule. After his 50.84 Season-best wins at the Corky Crofoot Shootout in Lubbock, Texas. Eric Cray clocked 50.77 to win at the APU Last Chance Twilight meet at Azusa. This was instead of the Mt. Sac Relays where Eric was not entered in the 400 Hurdles.
The Pro Track Meet in LA on 14th May and USATF Open at Fort Worth on May 18 both did not have 400 Hurdles Men’s Events scheduled.
Eric’s season’s best time of 50.77 now means he has another month with the cut-off on June 29 to make the Olympic standard of 48.90, or 49.42 (the cut-off mark as of this time but could change closer to the Olympics).
*ANY MEDIA USING THIS INFORMATION MUST QUOTE PINOYATHLETICS.INFO
Eric Cray 51.20 Race #2 400 Hurdles
Slowly but certainly, Eric Cray got his second 400 Hurdles race underway, this time clocking 51.20. While just under a decade ago, this would have been quite a good time as the Phi National Record was 51.26 of Renato Unso from 1983 until 2013.
It marked that Eric Cray has a long way to go towards the Olympic Standard of 48.90, which he needs to hit by June 29, 2021, to be on the plane to the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Eric Cray finished the last of the 8 athletes in the Men’s A Race at the Drake Relays in Pennsylvania state on April 24. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos was more than three seconds ahead and won in a personal best and world lead of 48.15, with Kenny Salmon of the USA at 48.87.
As of last week, there were 40 slots for the Olympics, and #40 was 49.42. With around 15 athletes below 48.90 outright qualifying standard. These lists will be updated here.
Below are the results of the Drake Relays 400 Hurdles, and interesting times between each hurdle have been recorded.
Results here
https://results.drakerelays.us/
Eric Cray opens 400 Hurdles with his first run in 2 Years of 51.61
According to his meet schedule, Eric Cray’s next meet will be the Don Kirby Tailwind, on April 22 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Thank you to Mr. Bong Pedralvez for the quote.
“I wish him (Cray) all the best but he really has a mountain to climb,” noted former Philippine Sports Commission statistician turned athletic coach Andrew Pyrie, who runs the pinoyathletics.info website and currently trains some outstanding local junior runners.
Pyrie said this might be Cray’s last chance to qualify for his second straight Olympic Games after making his debut at the Rio de Janeiro Olympiad five years ago “because he will be 35 years old when the next Olympics rolls around.”
Eric Cray Cruises First 60m of the Season runs Heats only.
January 31, 2021
Eric Cray topped the heats of the 60-meter dash at the KMS Open on January 31, in Birmingham, Alabama, in 6.75. Cray did not contest the Semis or Finals, which were won by Andrew Hudson of Empire Athletics in 6.67 and eventually in 6.63. It was a close finish with Hudson holding off two unattached athletes, Jackson Webb and Hakim Ruffin, who were centimeters behind in 6.64 and 6.65.
Cray holds the National Record of 6.57, which he has set twice at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the 14th of February 2015, and at the Asian Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, on the 19th of February 2016.
Eric has scratched from the 200m at the KMS Open; he was originally on the start list.
**START OF MEDIA RELEASE**
Eric Cray opens the 2021 Season
32-year-old Eric Cray opened his season with a two-second place in the KMS Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 24, 2021.
He ran 48.13 to place second in the 400m. (PB is 47.71). The winner was Ezequiel Suarez Hidalgo of Puerto Rico. (PB is 46.65) outdoors.
Cray then followed up with a 200m run timing 21.67 behind Devonte Fletcher, who clocked 21.45.
Eric Cray holds the National Indoor Record in the 200m with a PB of 21.31.
Eric Cray needs 48.90 to qualify for the 400 Hurdles at the Olympic Games 2021 in Tokyo by June 29. and set his PB of 48.98 5 years ago in Madrid.
This follows Kristina Knott breaking the Philippine 60m Record of Lydia De Vega at the same meet.
ANY WRITING USED FROM OUR WEBSITE BY MEDIA MUST INCLUDE A CITATION TO PINOYATHLETICS.INFO
**END OF MEDIA RELEASE**
Eric Cray has 15-19 meets coming up to try and qualify for the 2021 Olympics
Until June 29, 2021, Eric Cray will have to hit the 48.90 in Men’s 400 Hurdles required to qualify for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Cray’s in the qualifying period fastest time was 50.21 in 2019. Hence he is 1.31 seconds from the qualifying standard. Eric last ran under 50 seconds in 2018. And with COVID in 2020 opted not to race 400 Hurdles that year for the first time in his long career. But he did clock an indoor 400 PB of 47.78 in 2020.
The 32-year-old will line up at the following meets (including)
2-4 Indoor Meets
12-15 Outdoor Meets
- Jan 24 – KMS Invitational, Birmingham Alabama (indoor)
- Jan 31 – KMS Open Leg, Birmingham Alabama (indoor)
March 7 – PUAMU Relays, Grand Praire TexasMarch 26 – Texas Relays, AustinMarch 28-30 Florida Relays, GainesvilleApr 3-4 UTEP Springtime, El PasoApr 16 Mt. Sac Relays, San Antonio- May 21-30 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (not April)
;
Sources:
- https://sports.inquirer.net/412563/minor-hurdle-for-cray-in-olympic-bid-hand-injury-slows-pole-vaulter-uy
- https://www.philstar.com/sports/2021/01/09/2069253/fil-am-sprinter-hopeful-hitting-olympic-standard
- https://www.spin.ph/multisport/olympics/eric-cray-takes-another-shot-at-olympics-a795-20210109
Eric Cray Indoor PB in 400m February 13, 2020
Eric Cray had a slight improvement to his Indoor 400M PB with a time of 47.80.
Improving on the 47.89 he had run at Albuquerque on Jan 25.
Cray’s time of 47.80 was second overall in the 400m behind Gabriel Navarro of Spain, drawn in Heat 9 with Eric, and won in 47.36.
Trenten Beram has the Philippine Indoor Record of 46.77.
Eric has stopped running the 60m after the Asian and World cancellationIndoors’ cancellation to focus on qualifying for the 400 Hurdles in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which he has until June 26 and must run 48.90.
His Personal best of 48.98 set in Madrid was done in 2016 at the World Challenge meet. He finished 18th of 24 in the Semi-Finals of the 2016 London Olympics.
‘
Eric Cray Indoor PB in 400m January 25, 2020
Cray may have gone down last month as the Greatest 400 Hurdler in SEA Games History.
But that did not exempt the hard-working 31-year-old from getting back into his routine.
Cray clocked 47.89 for the 400m Indoor on Friday Indoors, taking an easy win at the Martin Luther King at Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The mark was somewhat behind the 2017 SEA Games 200 & 400m Champion Trenten Beram, Philippine Indoor Record of 46.77.
But for Cray, 47.89 was quite a good start to the season.
Being that his 400 PB is officially only 47.67.
This is probably worth about a 47.0 second 400m outdoor, which is better than any of the current active Filipino 400m runners.
‘Cray then took third in the 60m Final in 6.71, a time he also mirrored earlier in the heats.
This is somewhat behind the 6.57 national record he established in 2015 at Albuquerque.
And also at the 2016 Asian Indoors, where he took the bronze.
Eric was also a semi-finalist at the 2016 World Indoors in 60m.
Eric has been running at the Martin Luther King meet at Albuquerque every year for the past 6-7 years. He currently holds 4 indoor records and 2 individual outdoor records for the Philippines.
Eric is lined up for the Asian Indoors in March.
He needs to hit 6.63 to qualify for the world indoor championships again.
Please note there are no 400 Hurdles at World Indoor Championships.
For More on January 2020 Results, visit Here.
(please send any other results we have missed to [email protected])
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
Andrew was elected Vice President of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians in 2020 after being a member for 7 years.
He has worked as a PSC Consultant and Research Assistant from 2013-2015, Consultant, and Sprint Coach at Zamboanga Sports Academy from 2015-2017. And Currently is Consultant Coach with VMUF 2021-
Current editor and chief of Pinoyathletics.info, and has recently done consultancy work for Ayala Corp evaluating the Track and Field Program.
Coaches Sprints, Middle and Jump events he is Level 3 Athletics Australia Coaching Certification in Sprints and Hurdles.
Currently working towards a Masters Degree in Education.
He can be contacted on [email protected]
You can find more information on Coaching here
http://www.pinoyathletics.info/coaching-2/