Posted: May 31, 2006

Athletics: Reese Hoffa USATF Teleconference Excerpts

Reese Hoffa, the 2006 world indoor shot put gold medalist, participated in a USATF national media teleconference on Tuesday, May 30.

Hoffa will compete in USA Track & Field's Visa Championship Series Saturday, June 3, at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York. The meet will be broadcast from 6-8 p.m. on June 3, on ESPN2. In New York, Hoffa will face a field that includes 2005 world outdoor champion Adam Nelson and 2006 world leader Christian Cantwell.

Hoffa was unstoppable during the 2006 indoor season, posting Visa Championship Series wins at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, 99th Millrose Games and USA Indoor Championships before winning his first world indoor title in March. At World Indoors in Moscow, Hoffa uncorked a career-best put of 22.11m/72-6.5 to win the competition, improving on his silver medal from the 2004 World Indoor Championships.

A 2004 Olympian who competes for the New York Athletic Club, Hoffa has been ranked in the world's top 10 since 2003, when he debuted in the Track & Field News rankings at #9. The 28-year-old has steadily improved since then, being ranked #6 in 2004 and #4 in 2005. Excerpts from today's teleconference follow.

Q: You dominated everyone during the 2006 indoor season. What was that like for you?

A: I've always been a pretty decent indoor thrower, and to have the indoor season that I had was a testament to all the hard work I've put in over the years to try to make it as an elite shot putter in America. You really haven't arrived and will never be recognized as an elite thrower until you've won a major championship. To put myself in that category with all the other great champions in the U.S. is pretty awesome. I'm just glad that I was able to keep myself together and consistently throw well throughout the entire indoor season.

Q: What did it feel like when you knew that you had won that world title?

A: It was incredible. It was more of a relief that thank goodness that I had finally done it. Actually, when I threw the 21.41 (meters) with my first throw I thought I'd won it with that throw. When I threw the 22.11(72-6.5) I knew it was over. I could take my shoes off and go off to the stands and watch everyone else battle for second. I just had a feeling, and no offense to any of the guys, I didn't think anyone there could throw 22 meters other than myself.

Q: What's it like to throw your career best to win a world title?

A: It's incredible. It's absolutely incredible. I'm a dreamer and I've always dreamed of winning the big one, but for it to come true is beyond belief and it's kind of like a dream. To do it is kind of hard to put it in words.

Q: What was it like in Moscow to be on the top of the heap and look down at the world's best shot putters with the knowledge that you beat them all?

A: In the U.S. it's really tough. I just had to think that I was the best guy on that day, and even right now I know that I had the potential to go out there and do some really incredible things. I'm in incredible shape right now and I know that something good is going to happen. I know that what Christian (Cantwell) has done is absolutely phenomenal in throwing 22.17 (meters/72 feet 9 inches) this past weekend, I just have to believe that I can do better than what he's doing right now. He's doing great things, but get me to a meet and I'm going to go out there and execute and then it's going to blow everyone else away. I think there's a big throw on the horizon and it could happen this week in New York. I'm very excited right now.

Q: What are your objectives going into this weekend's Reebok Grand Prix in New York?

A: I think it's going to be a great competition. I wouldn't be surprised, especially with the top three there, me, Adam (Nelson) and Christian (Cantwell) to go out there and throw 22 meters plus, and it's definitely going to be a dog fight. I want to go out and draw first blood like I did at the World Indoor Championships and hit a big throw on the first or second throw and make them press the rest of the competition. That's got to be the key because if you let them take over the meet they will kill you later on. I've seen Adam do it a million times.

Q: Since the top shot putters are Americans, is it fun for you to always face such a high level of competition and intensity?

A: It's a lot of fun because when I go to a competition I have to be ready to throw far if I expect to win. They don't give you an off day. To have four guys, one guy is going to be on and there might be another guy who is on, or semi-on, I guess you could say, but it definitely raises my level of competition and my awareness for the preparation for that meet. Every meet is like going to a world championship for me and that's the way I have to look at it because if I go out there and I'm not ready to throw 22 meters somebody else is going to do it and steal my glory, in essence.

Q: There seems to be a lot of camaraderie amongst shot putters during competitions, is that the way it is?

A: Yeah, I guess. The thing is that everybody wants to be that top guy. Of all the guys there I'm the only one that hasn't been ranked #1 in the world at the end of a year. I've done it this year; I've been ranked #1 in the world by the IAAF. For me, I'm friendly as much as I possibly can be and I want to do well, but I want to beat everybody every single day, kind of in essence what I did this indoor season to go out there and take it to them every day and every meet and make it seem like it wasn't even close. That's what I want to do. When we're out there throwing, nobody's my friend. If it meant me having to trip Adam or push Christian out of the way or something just for me to win then that's what I have to do because I want to win.

Q: We noticed that you cut your hair prior to the Nike Prefontaine meet this past weekend. What are your thoughts on that?

A: I should have kept my hair nice and long. I was thinking that I'd cut my hair and I'd be more streamlined and faster, but I need that resistance apparently to get the ball to fly somewhere.

Q: Does that mean we might see you in a wig this weekend to get that resistance back?

A: I'm going to leave things the way they are for now, but hopefully by the national championships maybe I'll have a baby fro going on and that will be the beginning of the end for everybody else because with the long hair I'm pretty good (laughter).

For more information on Reese Hoffa, the 2006 Reebok Grand Prix and the 2006 USATF Visa Championship Series, visit USATF.org.

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