Sprinter Zoe Hobbs is counting down to a potential dream appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, in July through August.
The 26-year-old told newsroom this week that it has always been a dream of hers to reach this career pinnacle.
“I’ve wanted to go to the Olympics since I was a kid,” she said.
“My mind over the years has moved between self-doubt that I would never get there to now thinking it could be possible.”
A 10.96 sec 100 metres in Switzerland in July ensured she qualified for Paris, and in August she cemented her credentials with a 10th overall place finish at the world athletic championships in Hungary, missing a spot in the final by just 0.01 sec.
In 2021, although she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, Hobbs missed selection in the New Zealand Olympic team, because the New Zealand selection criteria required that athletes be capable of a top-16 finish.
Hobbs was, understandably, bitterly disappointed.
“It especially hurts when you’ve qualified but are denied selection due to NZ standard/policy,” she said at the time.
She’s more than made her case for selection this time around, however.
On Thursday, Hobbs said that if and when she gets to stand behind the starting blocks in Paris, it’s sure to be an emotional experience.
“However many years I’ve been training for and get to that moment and getting to soak it all in, it’s quite crazy that it will be so short,” she told newsroom.
Hobbs said, typically, they’ll only be out on the Olympic track for about five minutes.
“Hopefully, I get more than 3 x 5 minutes,” she said.
