Lakeside High School alum Reese Hoffa will appear on the cover of SEGA's newest video game, Beijing 2008 , according to a news release from SEGA of America Inc.

Mr. Hoffa, who won a state title in the shot put at Lakeside on his way to becoming one of the most accomplished athletes ever to put the shot, is the reigning world champion in the sport after winning at the world track and field championships last August.

"I was pretty much elated about it," Mr. Hoffa said of his reaction when he first heard about the video game cover.

"I grew up playing video games. I started with Atari playing Chopper Command and worked my way up. They've gotten much better since then," he said.

U.S. Olympic athletes Amanda Beard, Tyson Gay and Nastia Liukin will join Mr. Hoffa on the cover. The athletes are considered favorites for a gold medal in Beijing.

"These talented individuals epitomize what it is to be an Olympic athlete, and we are extremely excited to have them grace the cover of our Beijing 2008 video game," Sean Ratcliff, the vice president of marketing for SEGA of America Inc., said in the news release.

"With Beijing 2008 , SEGA is striving to develop the very best Olympic video game ever, and we couldn't be more proud to have them represent our game and our country this summer."

The video game, which will be released for PlayStation 3 and XBox 360, will hit local stores as early as June 25.