Lauren Hoffman will be making her Olympics debut in Paris.
Filipino-American trackster Lauren Hoffman is still in awe of qualifying for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, expressing she’s "feeling beyond blessed" for catching the last-minute bus to Paris 2024.
"I qualified for the Olympics. Still feels so crazy to say that,” Hoffman said in a post on Saturday, July 6.
“Feeling beyond blessed,” she added.
The 25-year-old, alongside John Cabang Tolentino, are the latest Pinoy athletes to earn an Olympic berth after the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) named them on Wednesday, July 3.
Hoffman, who finished 39th in the world rankings where the top 40 only qualified for Paris 2024, will be competing in the women’s 400m hurdles while Tolentino got a spot in men’s 110m hurdles respectively.
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“It is such an honor to join my kababayan and represent the Philippines at the upcoming Olympic Games,” she added.
A Duke University standout, she expressed her gratitude to the Almighty God and to all the people who supported her throughout the journey.
“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. He gave me work ethic, drive, and a competitive spirit. He sparked a fire in my heart to relentlessly chase after my dreams, no matter how hard the road gets. He gave me an amazing support system of family, friends, teammates, and coaches. He gave me countless opportunities and resources. This achievement could not have been done alone.
“Thank you to everyone who played a role in this crazy journey. Maraming salamat sa lahat ng suporta,” Hoffman added.
Team Philippines have now has three athletes in Hoffman, Tolentino and world champion EJ Obiena in their Paris 2024 athletics team.
As of this writing, the country is now up to 22 athletes in total competing in the quadrennial sporting event.
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