Reese Hoffa of the US in the men's Shot Put (© Getty Images)
The World’s number shot putter Reese Hoffa, the reigning World Indoor and outdoor champion, plans to dodge no-one in his quest to retain his standing and is targeting a successful defence of his World indoor crown at the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain (7 – 9 March 2008).
The 30-year-old US athlete enjoyed a marvellous 2007 – heading the world lists with a monster 22.43m and also landing the gold medal at the World Championships in Osaka.
But although the Olympic Games remains his main goal for the 2008 summer season - he failed to qualify for the final in Athens on his Olympic debut - the amiable Hoffa is adamant Valencia remains a major part of his ambition for the forthcoming year.
“I’m looking to win the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, and win the Olympic Games in the same year,” insisted Hoffa.
“If there is a major championships I like to prepare myself to go out and throw. I like to think I never back down from a single competition, instead of saying I can take the indoor season off. But for me why duck a major championship? To be a great shot putter in the world you have got to do everything and be everywhere that entire year.”
Now a home town hero
The Georgia-based athlete landed his first major title at the 2006 World Indoor Championships in Moscow and went on to enjoy a solid outdoor campaign. But his form in 2007 was nothing short of sensational as he threw beyond the 21.00m mark as if for fun and was the only athlete in the world to clear 22.00m.
But it was his triumph in Osaka which has helped raise the profile of Hoffa to the point where he is now recognised in his home town of Athens.
“I can definitely say I’m a lot more popular,” he admitted. “When I first started out I was a nobody, but as I have continued to grow as an athlete the community has definitely embraced me as one of its stars. It is hard to be a star in a football community and that’s what Georgia is, it’s all about football. But any recognition is a step in the right direction.”
Since returning to training in the autumn with his coach Don Babbitt, Hoffa has been pleased with his progression. He believes his strength has improved a further five per cent and he is bench pressing 200kg for sets of fours and fives. He also believes crucial technical improvements have been made but he is taking nothing for granted in the season ahead.
He accepts after his victory at the World Championships in Osaka many athletes will be desperate to knock him off his pedestal and he admitted the tag of favouritism to land the Olympic title in Beijing does not sit easily with him.
“I’m a little uncomfortable with it”, he admitted. “I like to go to a major championship, do my own thing without having to worry about putting a label on me before I throw a ball. That’s what unnerves me the most, people saying things like ‘you’re going win.’ I haven’t thrown a ball, I don’t know how the competition is going to go and I can’t control what Adam (Nelson) does or Rutger Smith or Joachim Olsen. They do a great job in every single championship and have won so many medals. So to count them out would be kind of foolish on my part.”
Buying into a tradition
Hoffa, a former wrestler, is the classic case of an athlete who has made a gradual progression. In each of the last ten years – bar one – he has steadily increased his personal best and he is also the latest in a seemingly never-ending production line of great US shot putters. Last year the US athlete occupied five of the top ten places in the IAAF World Lists and Hoffa’s victory in Osaka was the sixth time in the last seven editions of the World Championships the men’s Shot Put champion has hailed from the USA.
But why does Hoffa believe his country are so strong at the discipline?
“I think we have a rich tradition of shot putters and a lot of athletes buy into that,” he added. “In the US there is the expectation that if we are going to be there, we should be the ones throwing far. We have this huge pool of athletes that make it as professionals and we have a very good system to foster this from High School to College and beyond.”
For the future, though, Hoffa plans to start his competitive year in Boston in late January before further competitions in New York, Arkansas and the US Indoor Championships before the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia.
2012 end game
Beyond that Beijing, but he already views the end game as being the London 2012 Olympics.
“2012 will probably be my last Olympics,” admitted Hoffa. “After 2012 I ought to really take a look at where I am what I want to do. If I can win the 2011 World Championships, I’d stick around until 2013. But if I can make it to 2012 that is more than enough.”
Steve Landells for the IAAF
