Photo: Chell Hill—CC BY-SA 4.0
Joe Kovacs
United StatesActive- Born
- Jun 28, 1989 (37 years old)
- Birthplace
- Bethlehem, United States
- Events
- Shot Put
- Height
- 1.83 m
- Weight
- 133 kg
Joe Kovacs, born June 28, 1989, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is an American shot putter whose personal best of 23.23 meters outdoors makes him the second best competitor of all time in the event.
He also holds a personal best of 22.05 meters indoors.
Kovacs has been a dominant force on the global stage, winning gold medals at the 2015 and 2019 World Championships. He has also collected an impressive array of Olympic silver medals at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Summer Games, as well as a silver at the 2017 World Championships, establishing himself as one of the most consistent shot putters in history.
As of Oct 27, 2026: Shot Put 23.23 (#2 all-time), 2026 season best 22.58 (May 31, 2026, Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah, Rabat (MAR)) · Last competition: Allianz Memorial van Damme, Sep 4, 2026, 22.09 · Olympic Games: 3 silver · World Championships: 2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze · 37 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | – | 3 | – | 3 |
| World Championships | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Total | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | SP Indoor | 21.92 | – | Feb 22, 2026 | ORLEN Copernicus Cup |
| 2026 | SP | 22.58 | – | May 31, 2026 | Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athletisme de Rabat |
| 2025 | SP | 22.48 | – | Jul 5, 2025 | Prefontaine Classic, Hayward Field, Eugene, OR - Diamond Discipline |
| 2024 | SP | 23.13 | – | May 25, 2024 | Prefontaine Classic |
| 2023 | SP | 22.93 | – | Sep 17, 2023 | Prefontaine Classic, Hayward Field, Eugene, OR - Diamond Discipline |
| 2022 | SP | 23.23 | – | Sep 7, 2022 | Weltklasse Zürich, Letzigrund, Zürich - Diamond Discipline |
| 2021 | SP | 22.72 | – | May 1, 2021 | Jesse Owens Stadium, Columbus, OH (USA) |
| 2020 | SP | 21.30 | – | Sep 14, 2020 | 70th Hanžeković Memorial |