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Olympic-bound: Lauren Hoffman looks to hurdle Paris Olympics too
Lauren Hoffman has faced many hurdles already whether in sports or in life.
In the upcoming Paris Olympics, she hopes to surpass another one as she is to face the grandest hurdle of her career.
Hoffman will be one of the Philippines’ track and field Olympic bets together with fellow hurdler John Cabang Tolentino and pole vaulter EJ Obiena in the athletics.
The 25-year-old Filipino-American hurdler will compete in her pet event 400-meter hurdles as she vies for no less than a medal. Her Olympic journey will begin on Sunday, August 4, 6:35 (Philippine Time).
When Hoffman learned about her qualification for the Paris Games, these are the first words that she uttered, "I qualified for the Olympics. Still feels so crazy to say that."
Lauren, the daughter of a Filipina mother and American father, grew up in the States, and started representing the Philippine flag only in 2023, then immediately made an impact since donning the national colors.
She buckled up to work and competed in that year's Asian Games in China, where she impressed right away in the 400m hurdles after finishing second second in the heats with a 57.61-second output and fifth in the finals with a 57.21 seconds performance.
However, that was not enough to clinch a berth in the Paris Games. She needed to either hit the Olympic standard time of 54.85 seconds in succeeding competitions or finish within the top 40 in the world rankings.
Only 32 athletes managed to meet the required time while the eight others had to rely on their Olympic rankings to punch their way to the Games. Hoffman qualified through the latter after ranking 39th as her current personal best and national record is at 55.47 seconds she set in 2022.
Despite hurdling the harder path, Hoffman was just ecstatic to wave the flag once she set foot at sports' biggest stage.
PHOTO COURTESY: INQUIRER.NET
"It is such an honor to join my kababayan and represent the Philippines at the upcoming Olympic Games. Feeling beyond blessed," she added.
"God didn’t just give me the physical abilities to hurdle and run. He gave me the passion to pursue a sport that takes so much mental and physical energy."
Hoffman will have a chance to break an 88-year Olympic medal drought in athletics for the county.
The last time a Filipino trackster won any medal in the Summer Games was when another hurdler in late Miguel White seized the bronze medal at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Before him, Simeon Toribio also delivered a bronze medal finish for the country during the men's high jump event in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932. Since these two, the medal proved elusive for the Philippines.
Hoffman, who will make her Olympic debut, as well as Tolentino and Obiena aim to put an end to the nation’s athletics medal drought.
Hoffman is tipped to go toe-to-toe against USA's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the defending gold medalist in the 400m hurdles and is also the number one athlete in the world in the event with a world record of 50.65 seconds.
