Sports
North Gwinnett, UGA's Kibwe Johnson Makes Olympic Team
Johnson finished second in the hammer throw at the U.S. Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
SUWANEE, GA -- Gwinnett County native and former UGA Bulldog Kibwe Johnson is on his way to his second Olympic Games.
Johnson finished second in the hammer throw at the U.S. Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Normally, that would have been enough to stamp his ticket to Rio, for the games which begin next month. But neither Johnson, whose top throw traveled 246 feet, 5 inches, nor the first-place finisher met the international standard of 252 feet, 7 inches.
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He had to wait for the International Association of Athletic Federations to rule on whether he'd make the team.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Johnson announced he'd gotten the news.
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"LOUD NOISES!!! Snuck in the side door, but I can officially say I'm an Olympian again!" Johnson wrote.
A Suwanee native and North Gwinnett High School alum, Johnson competed for the University of Georgia in 2000-2001.
He is a two-time USA Outdoor champion at the hammer throw and finished 9th at the 2012 Olympics in London.
LOUD NOISES!!! Snuck in the side door, but I can officially say I'm an Olympian again! Many, many, thank you's to #Niketf #NYAC @usatf #USATFfoundation, @IMGacademy, and all the coaches/mentors and friendly faces with positive energy along the way. Last but certainly not least, @misssmith36. This woman is my best friend, my business associate, partner in crime, inspiration, and the mother of my children. Thank you, Mama Bear.
A photo posted by Kibwé Johnson (@martillokibwe) on Jul 13, 2016 at 12:47pm PDT
(Photo via U.S. Olympic Team Flickr)
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