Joe Kovacs

“Throwers do not have finish lines.” Joe Kovacs, an American field and track athlete competing in the shot put, lives with this quote.

Likewise, he has been competing and dominating against records made by contemporaries and himself.

His personal best record is 21.46 m indoors and 22.91 m outdoor. In addition, Kovacs is considered to be one of the best shot put athletes across the glove.

Kovacs is a two-time world champion winning gold medals at the World Championship in 2015 and 2019. Similarly, he won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championship.

He is a two-time Olympics participant, winning a silver medal in the 2016 Olympics at Rio. He is all prepped for the Olympic Games 2021 happening in Tokyo.

Today, we will be diving deep into Joe Kovacs’s story without missing anything worth mentioning that has ever happened in his personal and professional life. Let’s get started!

Quick Facts about Joe Kovacs

Full name Joseph Mathias Kovacs
Popularly known as Joe Kovacs
Nickname Joe
Birthdate June 28, 1989
Birthplace Nazareth, Pennsylvania, United States
Nationality American
Horoscope Gemini
Age 33 years old
Father’s name Joseph Kovacs
Mother’s name Joanna Kovacs
Sibling None
Education Pennsylvania State University
Marital status Married
Wife Ashley Muffet Kovacs
Children None
Height 6 feet (183 cm)
Weight 134 kg (295 lbs)
Body type Athletic
Eye Color Brown
Hair Color Brown
Profession Athlete
Sport Track and Field
Event Shot Put
College Team Penn State Nittany Lions of the Pennsylvania State University
Coached by Ashley Muffet Kovacs
Personal best records
  • 22.91 m (75 feet 1+3⁄4 in) outdoors
  • 21.46 m  (70 feet 5 inches) indoors
Medals and Achievements
  • Silver medalist at Rio 2016
  • Gold Medalist at the 2015 World Athletics Championship
  • Silver Medalist at the 2017 World Athletics Championship
  • Gold Medalist at the 2019 World Athletics Championship
  • Silver Medalist at the 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships
  • Silver Medalist at the 2019 Toyota USATF Indoor Championships
  • Gold Medalist at the 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships
  • Bronze Medalist at the 2014 USATF Indoor Championships
  • Gold Medalist at the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships
  • Bronze Medalist at the 2014 Continental Cup
  • Bronze Medalist at the 2011 USATF Outdoor Championships
Net worth $1 – $5 Million
Social media Handles
  •  Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Merch  Track & Field Equipments
Last Update July, 2022

Joe Kovacs: Family and Early Years

Joe Kovacs was born in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, on June 28, 1989. His parents, Joseph and Joanna Kovacs, only had one child.

Both Joseph and Joanna worked as educators. Joanna, who was also an athlete, was a crucial supporter and coach for her son’s career.

The Active Mother-Son Team

Joanna enjoyed track and field as well. In fact, she won the shot put, discus, and javelin district competitions 12 times.

Like her, her mother enjoyed basketball and hockey while attending Nazareth High School in Pennsylvania.

Joanna excelled in sports and was honored in 1983 with the school’s Ideal Female Athlete award.

When she arrived at East Stroudsburg University, Joseph Kovacs was there. In December 1985, the pair were married after falling in love.

Joanna began instructing her son when she saw him throwing improperly. She did not want her son to improperly practice the sport she had once mastered.

The Tragic Family Story

When Joseph Kovacs was only 33 years old, his family learned that he had colon cancer. After having surgery, it was discovered that the cancer had already spread.

From this time, he lived for less than six months. The entire family’s savings were invested in his alternative treatment, which was only available in Germany or Mexico.

When their son Joe was just seven years old, the family moved to Germany under the influence of Joanna’s half Bavarian heritage.

The Kovacs family attended mass every day with their son in order to interact with German priests before visiting the hospital.

Nothing was done, and Joe’s father received no compensation. On July 14, 1997, he passed away from cancer after spending the previous two months in a coma.

Joe recalls being unable to comprehend what was being place. He was aware of his father but always believed he would come back.

The following morning, Joe and Joanna departed Germany only to learn that Joanna’s mother had passed away due to complications from a previous heart attack. At his young age, Joe found it difficult to digest anything.

For for than 15 years, Joanna stayed single so she could devote all of her time, energy, and resources to her one and only kid.

She thinks she passed on the competitive gene to her child.

Joe’s grooming

Joe’s mother thought her son required masculine role models in his life in order to gain knowledge from sources other than his mother.

She was concerned about providing her child with a healthy atmosphere. Joe was mentored by his three maternal uncles, guys from Church and Glenn Thompson, who subsequently worked as a throwing coach. They took him fishing and to football games.

Most significantly, Joe and Joanna have always had a connection that is so innocent and lovely.

Joe Kovacs – Education and Athletics

Joe participated in a variety of sports while attending Bethlehem Catholic High School. He once had a solid football linemen reputation.

Additionally, he attended Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science, where he participated in football and track all-state teams.

Joe was also a great student and a quick learner. His mother still keeps the four blue medals he received in the science category of the Pennsylvania Science Fair.

Joey used to be the discus and shot put champion at his high school, which he graduated from in 2007. He also won two gold awards for writing history for the Bethlehem Catholic.

Additionally, Joe had the opportunity to interact with shot put champion Reese Hoffa while at high school camp. Hoof advised Joe to spin instead of gliding because he was too short to do so.

Joe changed his technique in accordance with Hoofa’s advice.

University

Attended Penn State University, Kovacs. He graduated from there in 2011 with a degree in Earth Science and Finance. He didn’t see himself in shot putting as a university student, but he did see himself in either of these two professions.

Joe was a four-time All-American while a student. He received coaching from Danna Wagner during his first year. At Penn State University, T.J. Crater had the opportunity to mentor him as well.

Joe attended the US Olympic Trials in 2012 while sporting a Penn State jersey. He came in fourth after throwing a personal best.

Unfortunately, he was unable to join the team, but he remembers the occasion and describes himself as the happiest person there.

The Professional Career of Joe Kovacs

After meeting famous UCLA coach Art Venegas in late 2012, Joe began learning from him. In January 2013, he finally arrived at the Chula Vista Olympic training facility.

His coach particularly picked the training facility after taking into account its ideal amenities, lodging, meal plans, weight room, sports science, and staff.

Instant chemistry existed between Joe and Art, and their collaboration was a huge success. Joe improved under Art’s guidance, raising his PR from 69 feet to 74 feet.

He accomplished numerous more things while studying with Art. He won the gold medal, for instance, at the 2015 IAAF World Championships. The 2015 Diamond League Championship was again won by him.

Joe Kovacs’ Olympic Performance in Rio can be seen here.

At the 2017 IAAF World Championship and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Joe also took home a silver medal.

In a similar vein, Kovacs won the 2014 United States Championship, which was held on the grounds of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, California, and saw him break the 22-meter barrier for the first time.

In 2014, he became the only thrower in the world to throw 22 meters. Additionally, he adjusted to 22.35 in 2015.

After winning in 2015, Joe won the World Athletics Championships once more in 2019. Additionally, he had taken home a silver at the 2017 World Championship.

Ashley Muffet Kovacs and Joe Kovacs: Husband, Lovers, and Coach

Coach Ashley Muffet was employed by Ohio State University. In preparation for training, Joe relocated to Columbus, Ohio, in the fall of 2017.

In the months that followed, he asked Ashley to marry him, and she accepted. The next November, the pair exchanged vows in North Canton, Ohio, the hometown of Ashley.

Ashley, who is also a coach, was crucial to Joe’s preparation. But destiny had other ideas, and Joe became Ashley’s official coach.

Downs and Ups

Joe thought about giving up shot put eight months before he traveled to Doha, Qatar, to compete at the 2019 World Championship.

He assembled his family, which included Ashley, his mother Joanna, and his stepfather, and pondered about the idea. Finally, the family emphasized that if he is certain about resigning, they will back his choice.

The family gathering took place in February 2019, just after Joe’s 19.52m throw in an Ohio event. They became worried about Joe’s throwing and his general health.

Everyone believed Joe required a new coach. This time, it had to be someone who had a deep understanding of Joe and knew when and where to press and when to back off.

The boy that his mother had originally coached required a coach who shared the same affection and comprehension. Only his wife could be the source of this.

Ashley told the Tokyo 2020 team essentially that she never wanted to be Joe’s coach. She sees it more as a partnership than a teacher-student relationship.

Joe Kovacs, 2020 Olympics (in 2021)

The Kovacs pair understood their strategy better after the Olympics 2020 were postponed to 2021 because to Covid-19. The main goal was to maintain good health.

For a few months, they avoided discussing throwing in favor of enjoying their time on the golf course. The pair subsequently underwent a tremendous shift, getting ready for the Olympics as best they could.

They used Joe’s silver medal from Rio as inspiration to push him to work even harder than before.

Joe recalls the occasion when he received a silver medal and returned home. He acknowledged that he was more than capable of gold but lacked it, thus he was not pleased.

All Joe could think about in the final two months before the Olympics of 2021 began was his desire to win gold this time.

In the same way, Joe and his coach/wife Ashley aspire to return from the 2021 Olympics with a gold medal.

Joe Kovacs has our best wishes. Hope the best person wins!

Not when they have been training in an inappropriate environment, but when they are at their finest, is when I want to compete against the best. The IOC made a wise choice by delaying the Olympic Games. Let’s concentrate on restoring global health and safety for the time being. Stay at home in Tokyo in 2021, according this tweet: Z3LlWiH1Bw

By Joe Kovacs on March 24, 2020 (@JoeKovacsUSA).

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Joe Kovacs’s wealth

Kovacs and his wife, Ashley, live a respectable American lifestyle. He has put in a lot of effort, and it has paid off.

The range of Joe Kovacs’s net worth is between $1 – $5 million.

Joe Kovacs – Social Media Presence

Kovacs is active on his social media handles. You can follow the shot put athlete via the following links:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

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Common Queries about Joe Kovacs

Where does Joe Kovacs train?

Joe Kovacs trains in Columbus, Ohio. He is trained by his wife Ashley, who is a throwing coach at Ohio State University.

Is Joe Kovacs Hungarian?

Joe Kovacs is an American national who is of Hungarian descent.