Michael Mai

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Michael Mai (born September 27, 1977) is an American hammer thrower and U.S. Army major. He hails from Iowa and is the second youngest of six siblings; his sister was an Iowa state champion in the 800 meters and his brother won two state titles in shot put. He was Gehlen Catholic School’s valedictorian in 1996. In high school he threw discus because hammer throw wasn’t offered in Iowa. At West Point, he began hammer throwing. He initially played football but quit after two seasons due to injury and returned to athletics. Mai never made the Olympic team, but he competed for the United States in the hammer throw at the World Championships in 2009 and 2011. He won a silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. His wife, Deirdre Mullen, also competed at the Pan American Games as a high jumper. Mai’s personal best is 76.28 meters (Provo, 2008), and his best indoor throw is 23.91 meters (2012 national championships), where he finished second to A. G. Kruger. He also finished second at the 2011 USA Outdoor Championships.