When
Jasjit Singh Grewal bought his five-year-old son, Alexi, his first cycle, little did he know
that his son would go on to become the first and only American to win the Olympic
Gold Medal in Men’s Individual Road Race Cycling, till date. Indeed, Alexi won
Gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the USA is yet to win another Gold in
that particular event. He competed against 135 participants from 43 nations in
a cycle race of over 190 kilometres.
Alexi was recently in Goa to be a part of the Reels on Wheels
festival. Here he participated in a cycling rally with Goan cyclists. “I have
been cycling since the age of 5 years and it has been an irreplaceable part of
my life. I am very excited to be part of the film festival as I have seen
‘Chasing Legends’ nearly 20 times,” said Alexi, who put up in a quiet country
home by the water during his stay in Goa.
Sharing his Olympic journey, Alexi recounted, “I was on my own
for the Olympics. I was having bad times with the coach of the US team and I
had to fight against all odds to make it to the race. I was an Olympic athlete
but I was not staying at the Olympic Village. I had my own support crew and I
trained on my own. The only reason I got selected into the Olympics was because
I won the race for the selections, which automatically qualified me. I had to
keep myself free for the Olympics, get my own sponsors and stay in a place
close to the venue in Los Angeles and I made it to the starting line 20 minutes
before the race,” said Alexi.
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Reminiscing about his winning moment 43 years ago, he added, “It
was a very particular moment and it felt like I spent a short translucent
moment in it. It was my highest and lowest moment at the same time. It was my
best experience on the bike, which has been my partner, lover and friend. The
bike gives me freedom; it is also an instrument in my tour to escape and
explore.”
After winning Olympic gold, Alexi became a professional cyclist,
signing with the Panasonic Team and later, the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. In 1986,
he participated in the Tour de France. The bicycle has always been an integral
part of his life. “For 20 years, I used the bike as a mode of transportation to
work. In 2010, I returned to cycling and training and every one or two years, I
get acquainted with the cycle for 5-6 months training for tours. I completed
the over 1,000 km cycle tour of Nilgiris in December 2017. You need a lot of
energy to cycle and it can be a great vehicle for sightseeing with a lot of
travel experience,” he said.
Unfortunately, the last time Alexi visited India, his gold medal
was stolen from the New Jersey airport, 12 years ago. “It was a serendipitous
moment. I never had a similar moment as I never won again and I consider it a
gift which was given to me by God and then taken back. I cherish that moment of
victory, of being on the world stage as a personal experience, even more than
the medal. I considered myself a good athlete; but I have met icons and legends
and I don’t see myself as one,” shared Alexi.
When asked why the US has not won a gold medal and what is
holding the cyclists back, Alexi explained, “There is a probability that the
course may or may not suit you. The Games also happen after every four years
and the athletes have to put in extra practise.”
Alexi has plans of opening a cycling academy in India along with
his brothers, Rishi and Ranjit, who are also accomplished cyclists. “There are
not concrete plans to start off with but India has a tremendous gene pool in
its cyclists. There is great love for cycling in India. I see a lot of
possibilities in India and it won’t be long before India has its All India team
at the Tour de France. I have seen a lot of competition in a ten-year period of
my life. From not having one team member at the Tour de France when I was at
the national level in 1978, to the first US team at the Tour de France in 1986.
I
have to get in touch with the right group of people who have the motivation to
take cycling seriously, and I can help them by guiding and connecting them with
people. We can piece together different cycling events as there is a huge
interest all over the country.”
