100 Olympic Athletes To Watch
From Australia to Zimbabwe, China to the U.S., TIME takes you on a world tour to introduce you to the most compelling athletes you'll be seeing in the Beijing Games
Shot Put
United States
Age: 30
Hoffa has many oddball habits. He's obsessed with the Rubik's Cube. He chomps on turkey legs after a big win. And he tosses a 16-lb. metal ball for a living. Hoffa, a 5-ft. 11-in., 315 lb. shot putter, is the reigning World and U.S. Trials champion. He'll lead a team of U.S. hot shots to Beijing: with Christian Cantwell, the '08 indoor world champ, and Adam Nelson, twice an Olympic silver medalist, also making the trip, the U.S. could sweep the shot put medals. Will Hoffa pack a turkey for Beijing? "No, I'm afraid it will go bad," he says. "But if Tyson chicken [an Olympic sponsor] wants to do something, I wouldn't be opposed."
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