{{Short description|American hammer thrower (born 1977)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Michael Mai | full_name = | image = Hammerthrow wire.jpg | nationality = | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|09|27}} | birth_place = Le Mars, Iowa | death_date = | death_place = | height = 6 ft 4 in | weight = | country = {{USA}} | sport = Athletics | event = Hammer throw | club = | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}} {{Medal|Silver|2011 Guadalajara|Hammer throw}} }}
'''Michael Mai''' (born September 27, 1977) is a U.S. Army major and former athlete.
An Iowa native, Mai is the second youngest out of six siblings. One of his sisters was an Iowa state champion in the 800 meters and he has a brother who earned two state championships in shot put.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hersom |first1=Terry |title=Mai to be inducted into Hall of Fame after beating cancer |url=https://siouxcityjournal.com/sports/track-and-field/college/mai-to-be-inducted-into-hall-of-fame-after-beating-cancer/article_4fba877a-a4a5-5202-bfa4-0040456475ac.html |work=Sioux City Journal |date=April 16, 2015 |language=en}}</ref>
Mai, the 1996 valedictorian at Gehlen Catholic School in Le Mars, Iowa, competed in high school as a discus thrower, with the hammer throw not offered in the Iowa school system.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Glamm |first1=Joanne |title=Mai's throws may take him to the Olympics |url=https://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1862152.html |work=Le Mars Daily Sentinel |date=June 20, 2012 |language=en}}</ref> It wasn't until he was at the United States Military Academy, West Point that he began in the hammer throw. He initially played football for the army but had to quit after two seasons due to injury, so decided to return to athletics.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McMillan |first1=Ken |title=Track & field: Mai hopes to be launching hammer at Olympics |url=https://www.recordonline.com/article/20100623/SPORTS36/6230344 |work=Times Herald-Record |date=June 23, 2010 |language=en}}</ref>
During his career he never found a place on the U.S. Olympic team, but competed twice in hammer throw at the World Championships, in 2009 and 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Heaving hammer comes easily for Mai |url=https://www.fkgoldstandard.com/content/heaving-hammer-comes-easily-mai |work=The Gold Standard |date=August 4, 2011}}</ref> He won a silver medal for the United States at the 2011 Pan American Games. His wife, Deirdre Mullen, competed at the same Pan American Games as a high jumper.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hammer and high jump at Pan Ams trump honeymoon |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-hammer-and-high-jump-at-pan-ams-trump-honeymoon-2011oct28-story.html |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=October 28, 2011}}</ref>
Mai had a personal best throw of 76.28m, set in Provo in 2008. His best indoor throw of 23.91m came at the 2012 national championships, where he finished second behind Olympian A. G. Kruger. He also had a second-place finish at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{World Athletics|united-states/michael-mai-14244728}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mai, Michael}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:American men hammer throwers Category:Sportspeople from Iowa Category:People from Le Mars, Iowa Category:United States Army soldiers Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field) Category:Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2011 Pan American Games Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States