Jim Redmond, the father who helped his injured son, Derek, finish his race during the 1992 Olympic 400m semifinal, has died at 81.
Runner Derek Redmond pulled a hamstring only 15 seconds into the 400m semifinal during the 1992 Barcelona Games and fell to the track in pain, NBC Sports reported.
Derek waived off help and decided to try and finish his race. But as he limped around the track, it was clear he was not doing well. Finally, at 120 meters from the finish line, Derek’s father, Jim, suddenly appeared by his side to lend an arm to help the runner finish his race.
“We started this together, and we’re going to finish this together,” Jim Redmond reportedly told his son.
“As I turned into the home straight, I could sense this person was about to try and stop me,” Derek said in an NBC Olympics profile interview in 2012. “I was just about to get ready to sort of fend them off, and then I heard a familiar voice of my dad. He said, ‘Derek, it’s me. You don’t need to do this.'”
Despite the kind words, though, Jim said that Derek said he wanted to finish the race.
Derek added that his father kept trying to encourage him, but he kept thinking, “I can’t believe this is happening.”
But as Jim helped his son, stadium security approached with their hands on the guns because they didn’t know what was happening. And Derek noted that he heard his father use some choice words toward the security officers.
“It’s the only time I’ve ever heard my dad use bad language,” Derek said. He added, “I’m going to finish this race if it’s the last race I ever run.”
“I’d rather be seen to be coming last in the semifinal than not finish in the semifinal,” Derek said, “because at least I can say I gave it my best.”
It turned out it was just that. The injury kept Derek from competing at Olympic levels again. He tried to heal and race again, but he repeatedly re-injured his leg and was never able to regain his top status.
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