Lauren Hoffman’s emotional farewell captures the essence of her relentless spirit and her deep connection to her homeland, making her Olympic debut a poignant end to a remarkable journey.
As the curtain falls on her Olympic journey, Filipina hurdler Lauren Hoffman reflects on the profound honor of representing the Philippines on such a grand stage.
“Pretty frustrating, I’m not going to lie. The training for the past few months has been really tough. But I’m still out here, representing the Philippines. It means so much,” Hoffman said with heartfelt emotion.
“I just want to represent the Philippines in everything that I do, not just as a representative but as the athlete that I am. So coming here, fighting, brings the Filipino spirit inside of me,” she said.
She finished in 7th place with a time of 58.28 seconds in Heat 3 of the women’s 400m hurdles repechage.
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Despite battling a strained Achilles tendon and not being at her physical peak, Hoffman gave it all in the Olympics, showcasing incredible resilience and determination.
“I haven’t really trained the way I wanted to in the past few months. I feel like these back-to-back races take a toll on my body,” she explained.
“I give my best despite everything. I feel like the Filipino spirit I need—resilience, willingness to fight no matter what,” Lauren added.
While the Paris 2024 chapter has closed, Hoffman’s race is far from over. Her journey may have crossed the finish line, but the path ahead is still filled with boundless possibilities and new horizons to conquer.
Watch the full interview here: