Lauren Hoffman looks to hurdle Paris Olympics too

Lauren Hoffman has faced a number of hurdles in the past — may it be in life or, literally, in sport.

In a few days, she hopes to surpass what may be considered as the grandest hurdle of her career: the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 25-year-old FIlipino-American hurdler, who is among the Philippines' track and field bets alongside pole vaulter EJ Obiena and fellow hurdler John Cabang Tolentino, will compete in her pet event 400-meter hurdles as she vies for no less than a medal.

Defying odds one jump at a time

"I qualified for the Olympics. Still feels so crazy to say that."

These are the first words that Hoffman spoke of just a few days after learning about her qualification for the Paris Games, which came just 23 days before the official start of the quadrennial event. 

Hoffman had all the reasons to be overwhelmed. 

The daughter of a Filipina mother and American father, Hoffman, who grew up in the States, started representing the Philippine flag only in 2023 and immediately made 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.

Hoffman had 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 going through the harder path, Hoffman was just ecstatic to wave the flag once she sets foot at sports' biggest stage. 

"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."

Shot at history

In Paris, Hoffman has the chance to break an 88-year medal drought in athletics for the Philippines. 

Surprisingly, the last time a Filipino trackster won any medal in the 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. 

This is exactly what Hoffman, as well as Tolentino and Obiena, will look to put an end to when she makes her Olympic debut. 

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. 

Femke Bol, the second best in the world, is looking to bounce back from her bronze medal finish in Tokyo as she now holds the European record with a time of 50.95 she achieved just this month. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News