By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Fil-American Lauren Hoffman continued her record-breaking ways after resetting the Philippine record in the women’s 400-meter hurdles in the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida on Wednesday, March 27 (Manila time).
The 24-year-old hurdler clocked 56.39 seconds to eclipse the two-year-old mark of 56.44sec set by Robyn Brown in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Her record, however, is still up for ratification.
American Dominique Mustin came in second in 57.02 while Great Britain’s Zoe Pollock finished third (57.54sec.)
This marked the third time that Hoffman broke a Philippine record, having shattered the indoor mark in the women’s 400m twice early this year.
She first smashed the old mark with a 53.91sec performance at the 2024 Clemson Bob Pollock Invitational last January before resetting it anew with a time of 53.71sec at the 2024 Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational in South Carolina a few weeks after.
“National record, 56.39! I’ve wanted this for so long,” Hoffman wrote on social media.
“I wasn’t expecting a 56 low due to some hurdle practices where I had been feeling off. Just goes to show every time you step on the track it is a new opportunity, you can have a bad workout one week prior and execute on the day it matters!” she added.
Hoffman, who competed in the World Indoor Championships in Scotland last month, hopes to earn a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
So far, only pole vaulter EJ Obiena has secured a spot in Paris for the PH athletics team.
