Former Moorpark College Athlete to Compete in Olympic Hammer Throw Finals Sunday

Olympic hammer thrower Kibwe Johnson, 31, was born in San Francisco, counts his hometown as Suwannee, GA and resides and trains in Kamloops, B.C., Canada. But somewhere in between all that, he attended Moorpark College.

In fact, it's at Moorpark College where he became a hammer thrower. He came in to the school from the University of Georgia as a discus thrower and credits his Moorpark coach, Bob MacKay, as the one who helped him realize his talent in the event, Johnson told the Ventura County Star.

Now, not only is Johnson competing at the London Olympics, but as of Friday, he's an event finalist. On his third attempt at throwing in the qualifying round, Johnson threw a 77.17 (253 feet, 2 inches), a season best (His personal best is 80.31). The throw was enough to place him fifth and qualify him for the final, which will take place Sunday.