Winston Benjamin was a key figure in the West Indies cricket team from 1986 to 1995, playing 21 Tests and 85 ODIs for the Caribbean side. However, son Rai Benjamin represents the United States.
Rai Benjamin put on a spectacular show to win two gold medals at the Paris Olympics with the 27-year-old American winning the 400m hurdles title before teaming up with the men’s 4x400m relay team for another.
The hurdler inherited his love for speed from his father, Winston Benjamin, who, though not a sprinter, was renowned for his fast bowling during his international cricket career with the West Indies.
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Winston, who was typically reserved and stoic during his playing days, was present at the Stade de France watching Rai triumph over his arch-rival Karsten Warholm of Norway in a thrilling final.
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Rai crossed the finish line in 46.46 seconds, beating Tokyo 2020 champion Karsten Warholm (47.06s) and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos (47.26s) for the top step on the podium. Warholm had pipped Rai for gold at Tokyo 2020.
Winston Benjamin was a key figure in the West Indies cricket team from 1986 to 1995, playing 21 Tests and 85 ODIs for the Caribbean side. However, son Rai Benjamin represents the United States.
Adding to his father’s joy, Rai Benjamin and the USA team claimed the 4x400m relay gold medal at Paris 2024 with an Olympic record of 2:54.43.
Rai Benjamin is one of Winston’s six children. He had a diverse sporting background before focusing on athletics. According to Winston, Rai was free to choose what he wanted to do as he grew up, playing American football as a quarterback before a college coach saw his talent for the track.
Meanwhile, the Sr. Benjamin continues to contribute to cricket through his academy in Antigua.
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