Maria Michta-Coffey

Last updated
Maria Michta-Coffey
USATF day 2 2018 (28094034517).jpg
Personal information
Full nameMaria Lynn Michta-Coffey
NationalityAmerican
Born (1986-06-23) June 23, 1986 (age 37)
Stony Brook, New York, U.S.
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight115 lb (52 kg)
Sport
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Sport Track and field
Event Racewalking
ClubWalk USA
Coached by Tim Seaman
Achievements and titles
Personal bests20 km walk: 1:30:49 American Record

15km walk: 1:07:51 American Record

10km walk: 44:09 official split in 20k

5km walk: 21:51 American Record
Medal record
Women's Athletics/
track and field
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
NACAC Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Toronto 20,000 m
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Freeport 20 km

Maria Michta-Coffey (born June 23, 1986) is an American race walker. She is a two-time Olympian, having competed for the US at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics in the 20-kilometer event. Michta-Coffey is the American record-holder at three racewalking distances: 5, 15, and 20km.

Contents

Life and career

Michta-Coffey had a strong 2014 season, setting four American records in the race walk, and broke her own American record in the 20 km twice in just over one month. She was the highest placed American finisher ever in the women's 20 km IAAF World Race Walking Cup, setting a new American record of 1:30:49 and finishing 30th. [1] Michta won her 6th national title of 2014 on September 14 at the National 30k in Valley Cottage, NY. [2]

Michta-Coffey competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the 20 kilometer race walk after winning the U.S. Olympic trials with a time of 1:34:53.33. [3] At the 2012 Olympics, she finished in 29th place in the 20 kilometer race walk with a time of 1:32:27, a new personal best. [4]

She won her 30th national title on June 30, 2016 at the US Olympic Trials, earning her second Olympic berth. She finished in 22nd place at the Rio Olympics.

Personal life

Michta is of Polish descent. [5]

Michta graduated from high school in the Sachem School District on Long Island in New York in 2004. [6] She graduated as valedictorian from Long Island University C. W. Post Campus in 2008 and then became a PhD candidate at the Mount Sinai Medical School [6] [7] in biomedical science. [8] She defended her Ph.D. in 2014 with her thesis, "Hepatitis C virus cell entry determinants of occludin". While training for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Michta-Coffey taught at Suffolk County Community College as an adjunct professor.

Michta married her Sachem High School sweetheart Joe Coffey on July 3, 2014. After her marriage, she began racing under the name Michta-Coffey. [9]

Michta-Coffey was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island in the Track & Field Category with the Class of 2016.

Personal bests

EventResultVenueDate
Road walk
5 km21:51 min Albany, United States31 May 2015 American Record
10 km44:09+ min Earth City, United States3 April 2016 American Record
15 km1:07:51+ hrs Taicang, China3 May 2014 American Record
20 km1:30:49 hrs Taicang, China3 May 2014 American Record
Track walk
5000 m21:48.09 min Philadelphia, United States28 April 2018
10,000 m45:31.40 min Manalapan, United States30 July 2017

Competition record

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2003 World Youth Championships Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada10th5000 m track walk24:52.06
2004 World Race Walking Cup (U20) Naumburg, Germany29th10 km 53:04
14thJunior team 68 pts
World Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy22nd10,000 m 51:42.95
2005 Pan American Race Walking Cup (U20) Lima, Peru2nd10 km 48:03
4thJunior team 19 pts
Pan American Junior Championships Windsor, Ontario, Canada3rd10,000 m49:43.85
2006 NACAC U-23 Championships Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic5th10,000 m walk 52:26.00
2007 Pan American Race Walking Cup Balneário Camboriú, Brazil19th20 km 1:53:55
4thTeam 45 pts
NACAC Championships San Salvador, El Salvador7th10,000 m 59:00.37
2008 World Race Walking Cup Cheboksary, Russia66th20 km 1:45:02
15thTeam 190 pts
2009 Pan American Race Walking Cup San Salvador, El Salvador13th20 km 1:50:21
3rdTeam 39 pts
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea29th20 km 1:38:54
Pan American Games Guadalajara, Mexico9th20 km 1:38:47 A
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom29th20 km 1:32:27
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia33rd20 km 1:33:51
2014 World Race Walking Cup Taicang, China30th20 km 1:30:49
12thTeam 167 pts
2015 Pan American Race Walking Cup Arica, Chile5th20 km 1:34:06
3rdTeam 35 pts
World Championships Beijing, China20th20 km 1:33:24
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil22nd20 km 1:33:41
2018 NACAC Championships Toronto, Canada1st20,000 m 1:36:34 CR
2019 2019 World Athletics Championships Doha, Qatar 35th20 km 1:46:02
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States22nd35 km 2:58:51 PB
NACAC Championships Freeport, Bahamas3rd20 km 1:42:14.32

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References

  1. "USA Track & Field - Race Walker Maria Michta earns second USATF Athlete of the Week honors". Legacy.usatf.org. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  2. "Michta Triumphs in USATF 30K Racewalk". 18 September 2014.
  3. "Women's 20000 Meter Race Walk". Archived from the original on 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  4. "London 2012 - Women's 20km Race Walk results". Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
  5. Michta, Maria (July 8, 2012). "My race, my moment, my BECOMING". Maria Michta.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Maria Michta
  7. Maria Michta.com: About Me!
  8. Johnson, K. C. (August 29, 2012). "Meet Maria Michta, a race walker we won't soon forget". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  9. "LI racewalker Michta wins national title".