Cyrus Hostetler drove himself six hours to the Tucson Elite Thowers Classic over the weekend because he refuses to give up on himself and his mission to make a second U.S. Olympic team. 

 

The odds seemed long. Hostetler has endured one injury after another, with little time for relief, for years. Coming into the weekend, he hadn't PR'd in seven years. 

 

Even Hostetler, 29, admits that he didn't see two 80-meter throws coming. Yet on his third attept on Saturday in the Arizona desert, Hostetler thew the javelin 275 feet (83.83m).

 

And with that one flight of a spear, his significance as a thrower was reaffirmed. That throw is No. 9 in the world this year and moved him to seventh all-time in the U.S.

 

The timing of the throw could not have been more perfect. Hostetler lost his funding from USATF last year. He has repeatedly considered retiring, for the preservation of his health and his sanity. 

 

But like so many other athletes who will populate the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials carrying hope beyond reason, Hostetler exemplifies the spirit of hanging on and exploring his potential.

 

"We do it because we love the sport," Hostetler said. "We love it so much, it's a curse almost."

 

Hostetler came from a strong high school program at Newberg High and coach Joe Boutin -- the same system that launched fellow Olympian Rachel Yurkovich. 

 

And at the University of Oregon he enjoyed a big moment on April 4, 2009 at the Pepsi Invitational, stealing the show with a massive throw that sailed 272 feet, 10 inches at Hayward Field. It was fourth all-time among collegians and a Pac-10 record. 

 

But he didn't win the NCAA title that year, or the next. 

 

"It was a downward slope after that," Hostetler said.

 

He tore the ACLs in both knees. He tore his rotator cuff. An assortment of other injured body parts have threatened to remove the javelin from his hand for good.

 

But there have also been periods of solid training, of recovery, and occcasional good throws. 

 

Despite placing fifth at the 2012 Olympic Trials, Hostetler backed into a spot on the U.S. team because he owned the Olympic A standard -- thanks to a silver medal performance at the 2011 Pan Am Games -- while throwers who went farther than him at the Trials did not.

 

In 2013, he never threw 250 feet.

 

In 2014 he threw 80 meters (262-5) at the Oregon Twilight Meet. There was a 79-meter throw in Austria. 

 

The 2015 year was plagued by injury. 

 

Just a couple of weeks ago, preparing to go to Jamaica for a World Challenge meet, Hostetler tweaked his back. Since he had already paid for his ticket, he made the trip and threw 74 meters.

 

"Not good," he said. "I had great sessions all year long, but thought 'Ugh!'"

 

It came together in Tucson. And with a new PR in his pocket, an Olympic qualifier and a berth at Pre locked up, Hostetler shut it down.

 

"I thought, 'I'm going to save my arm and my knee,'" Hostetler said.