Kovacs Has Come a Long Way to Strike Gold in Beijing

Published by IAAF on August 23, 2015

When Joe Kovacs entered the Bird’s Nest Stadium last night, shortly before winning his first world title in the men’s shot put, his mind couldn’t help but wander to the past.

It had been a long journey to get to the IAAF World Championships, Bejing 2015 and before he entered the arena for the biggest night of his life, he took stock of the path he’d travelled. 

Alhough Kovacs is as American as the proverbial apple pie, his family’s roots are Hungarian, and those closest to him were foremost in his mind last night.

“I thought back on everything,” he said. “My dad passing away when I was seven, growing up with my mom, getting started in shot putting in high school, and I kept it rolling from there. It’s always nice to look back.”

Back home in Pennsylvania, his mother Joanna – who had decided against travelling to Beijing to avoid being a distraction – was also on his mind.