Hoffman keeps Paris plans humble: Break local record, make semifinals
Lauren Hoffman is progressing in every race at a pace she finds encouraging.
Just this year alone, the 25-year-old former Duke University standout wiped out four Philippine records in the women’s 400-meter and 100-m hurdles plus the indoor 400 m and 600 m in a span of five months, three of them accomplished in successive months.
“I intend to make these records even faster. But for now, I’m putting a lot of energy in the 400 (hurdles),’’ said Hoffman, the national champion in the event.
The first-team, all-American at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400-m hurdles recently punched a ticket to the Paris Olympics and she wants nothing less than another record-breaking feat.
Her plan in Paris is to beat the local record of 56.44 seconds with an eye on making the semifinal.
Hoffman will race in the qualifying heats on Aug. 4 at Stade de France. If she succeeds, she’ll run the semifinals on Aug. 6.
“I qualified for the Olympics. Still feels crazy to say that. I’m feeling beyond blessed,’’ said Hoffman, who joins fellow hurdler John Cabang and pole vaulter EJ Obiena in the French capital.
Duke record holder
At the conclusion of her Olympic qualification journey, Hoffman slid near the cutoff at No. 39 out of 40 qualifiers, but it hardly mattered anymore.
She ran in meets this season in Florida, Texas, Hong Kong, Philippines, Canada and Poland.
“This could not have been done alone. Thank you to everyone who played a role in this crazy journey,’’ said Hoffman, who was supported by ICTSI Foundation and CEL Logistics together with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Hoffman is Duke University’s record holder in the 400-m hurdles (55.67) and champion in the event during the 2022 ACC Outdoor Meet. She likewise holds the national standard in the 100-m hurdles (13.34), 400-m indoor (53.71) and 600-m indoor (1:30.33).
A medal in the Olympics would certainly be a nice ribbon around her already big year, but it will certainly be a rough mountain to scale with a horde of podium contenders above her that count world champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands, Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton and American Shamier Little, among others.
“For now, I’m gonna celebrate this achievement. All season long I’ll be celebrating small wins, big wins and everything in between,’’ said Hoffman.
