Birthplace: Palo Alto, CA
Hometown: Abingdon, MD
Current Residence: Towson, MD
Events: 200m free, 400m free, 800m free, 200m IM, 400m IM, 4x200m free relay
2008 Olympics: 1 silver, 2 bronze
Hoff's Olympic Event Schedule and Results
Katie Hoff got her Olympic jitters out of the way at a young age. In the 2004 Olympics, Hoff--at age 15--was the youngest American athlete at those games. But she has said the expectations and pressure of being an Olympic athlete drew her focus from her own strengths. At Athens she finished seventh in the 200m IM and also competed in 400m IM.
For the 2008 Beijing Olympics she goes in not only with the lessons from her disappointing experience in 2004, but more four years of training that netted her five gold medals from the World Championships in 2005 and 2007.
And then there's her stellar send off at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, where she a set world record the 400-meter individual medley (4:31.12) and two American records.
The Towson resident trains at North Baltimore Aquatic Club, the same facility used by Olympic medalist Michael Phelps. Her coach is Paul Yetter.
Though she has yet to win an Olympic medal, her list of sponsors is as long as teammate Michael Phelps with Speedo, Playtex Sport, Omega, VISA, United Airlines and Rosetta Stone among her endorsement deals.
The 19-year old signaled her desire to stay close to home (and undoubtably her coach and NBAC) when she recently enrolled in Loyola College in Maryland for fall 2008. She will serve as a volunteer assistant coach for the school's swim team. She is ineligible for collegiate competition due to her professional status.
Hoff was home schooled by her mother Jeanne, a former NCAA basketball player, and graduated high school in 2007. Her father John is a sales rep, and she has a younger brother, Christian. The family moved to the Baltimore area from Virginia in 2003 for Hoff to train at NBAC.
Swiming Achievements
- 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece: 200m individual medley 17th
- 2005 World Championships in Montreal, Canada: 1st 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley
- 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia: 1st 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4 x 200m free relay