TOKYO, Japan — Ohio's Joe Kovacs is coming home with some hardware.
The 32-year-old won the silver medal at Wednesday's men's shot put final at the Tokyo Olympics. He put on a stellar performance, finishing only behind his teammate and friendly rival Ryan Crouser.
Both athletes finished in the top eight after the first three throws to advance to the last round, with Kovacs in second at 22.19 meters and Crouser in first at 22.93, a new Olympic record. On his fourth throw, Kovacs managed to keep the pressure on with a throw of 22.65, which also surpassed Crouser's original Olympic record set in 2016 at the Rio Games.
However, the Columbus was unable to claim the top spot, posting 22.29 meters on his fifth throw and 22.60 on his sixth. Having already clinched gold before his last attempt, Crouser finished things off with an incredible mark of 23.30 to shatter the Olympic record once again.
Still, it was a fine showing for Kovacs, who earned his second straight silver medal in the event. He is one of the most decorated shot putters in history, having previously won world championships in 2015 and '19.
A native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Kovacs now lives in Columbus with his wife Ashley, who additionally serves as his coach and works as an assistant with the Ohio State University track and field program. Ashley was a three-time state champion at North Canton Hoover High School, and one of her current athletes at OSU just happens to be Olympic shot putter and Rocky River native Adelaide Aquilla.
New Zealand's Tomas Walsh took home the bronze medal, posting a top distance of 22.47 meters. This means men's shot put will have the exact same podium as Rio in 2016.
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