Reese Hoffa Ready to Take One Last Shot at Olympics

Published by The Augusta Chronicle on June 26, 2016

One way or another, Friday will be about history for Reese Hoffa.

Either he will qualify for a record-tying fourth Olympics in shot put at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore., or his competitive career will be finished.

“If I make the team, I’ll continue to throw,” said the 38-year-old Hoffa, the 2012 bronze medalist in London who starred at Lakeside High and Georgia. “If I do not make the team, I will pretty much retire immediately after the trials.”

The two-time world champion has been a consistent figure among the shot put elite since qualifying for his first Olympics in 2004, held at the stadium where the original Games were conducted in Olympia, Greece. Hoffa has finished among the top five in the U.S. outdoor championships for nine consecutive years. He won back-to-back U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012, adding the Games in Beijing and London to his accomplishments.