Joe Kovacs is an incredible shot putter on the world stage.
Joe Kovacs is a Olympic silver medalist in the shot put, not one time, not, two time, but three times! Joe Kovacs has won Olympic silver medals in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. In all three Olympic championships, Joe was second to his U.S. team mate, Ryan Crouser.
Joe Kovacs has five medals in the World Championshps: gold in Beijing 2015 and Doha 2019. The Doha Championships had medals to Joe Kovacs, Ryan Crouser and Tom Walsh, which changed hands in the last round, with all three men over 22.90 meters! Joe took silver in London 2017 and Eugene 2022. In Budapest 2023, Joe Kovacs took the bronze. Joe has been in World Championships and Olympic championships since 2015. the first he missed was in 2025.
Joe Kovacs played football and went out for track and field as a freshman, at Bethlehem Catholic in Bethlehem, PA. His first track coache was his mother, Joanna. His current track coach is his wife, Ashely Kovacs, who has coached Joe since he asked her in 2018. Joe was having a very bad season, for him, and was about to leave the sport.
At the Millrose Games presser, on January 30, 2026, senior writer for RunBlogRun/RunningNetwork interviewed Joe Kovacs on the Turning Point in his career.
#TurningPoints, Joe Kovacs, USA, three-time Olympic silver medalist, two-time World Outdoor Champion, shot put. Joe spoke with RunBlogRun senior writer Jeff Benjamin about the event that told him that he could be an elite shot putter?
Video by @JeffBenjaminrun @JoeKovacsUSA ,… pic.twitter.com/fXWfjGoO6F
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) February 19, 2026