Maria_Michta

Maria Michta-Coffey

Maria Michta-Coffey

American race walker

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.

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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

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Competition record

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References

  1. [1]
    "USA Track & Field - Race Walker Maria Michta earns second USATF Athlete of the Week honors". Legacy.usatf.org. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  2. [2]
    "Michta Triumphs in USATF 30K Racewalk". 18 September 2014.
  3. [3]
    "Women's 20000 Meter Race Walk". Archived from the original on 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  4. [4]
    "London 2012 - Women's 20km Race Walk results". Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
  5. [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. [6]
    Maria Michta
  7. [7]
    Maria Michta.com: About Me!
  8. [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. [9]
    "LI racewalker Michta wins national title".
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