Joe Kovacs

Joe Kovacs

Kovacs competing in senior year at Penn State
Personal information
Full name	Joseph Mathias Kovacs
Nationality	American
Born	(1989-06-28) June 28, 1989 Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Residence	State College, Pennsylvania
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	276 lb (125 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Shot put
Coached by	Art Venegas
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Outdoor 22.35 m (73 ft 33⁄4 in) Indoor 70 ft 5.5 in (21.476 m)

Joseph Mathias Kovacs (born June 28, 1989) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the shot put and has a personal record of 22.35  meters outdoors and 21.46 meters indoors.

Before attending Penn State, he excelled in high school and won PIAA titles in the discus and the shot put during senior season. The winning shot put mark of 64 ft 10.75 in (19.7803 m) is the PIAA class AA State record.^[1]

Personal life

Kovacs was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1989. He was raised by parents Joseph (deceased 1997) and Joanna Kovacs. He is a 2007 graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Kovacs attended Penn State University and graduated in 2011, majoring in Energy Business and Finance.

2012

Kovacs in his first year as a professional was sponsored by Nike, Inc.. He missed the podium with a 4th in the United States Olympic Trials (track and field), 4th at the NCAA D1 outdoor championship, but won the Shot Put Big Ten Conference Outdoor championship. He enjoyed a success filled summer on the European Track Circuit with strong showings of 2nd in Paris 20.44 meters / 67-0.75 feet; 2nd in Madrid 19.56 meters / 64-2.25 feet; 6th in London 19.61 meters / 64–4 feet.

2013

Kovacs in his second year as a professional. He threw a season best of 20.82 meters /68-3.75 feet^[2] at Tucson Elite Meet on 18 May 2013 which ranks him 6th in the US.^[3]

2014

Kovacs won the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix with his first 70 foot throw. He then placed 3rd at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a throw of 70 ft 5.5 in (21.476 m).^[4] On June 25, 2014 Joe Kovacs won the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at a special venue in front of the California State Capitol, with a personal best of 72' 3.5", the top throw in the world for 2014.

2015

As a guest competitor at the UCLA hosted Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invitational on April 11, 2015, Kovacs improved his personal best (though not a stadium record) with a 22.35 m (73 ft 3³⁄₄ in)^[5] to again take the early season world lead, by almost a full meter at the time. It was the farthest throw in the world since 2010 and ranks his as the #12 performer of all time.^[6] He backed that up with his following throw over 21.70 m (71 ft 2¹⁄₄ in).

External links

• http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kovacs_joe00.html
• http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=usa/athcode=251167/index.html

References