Maria Michta-Coffey

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.

Maria Michta-Coffey
Michta-Coffey at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Full nameMaria Lynn Michta-Coffey
NationalityAmerican
Born (1986-06-23) June 23, 1986
Stony Brook, New York, U.S.
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight115 lb (52 kg)
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Racewalking
ClubWalk USA
Coached byTim Seaman
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)20 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  United States
NACAC Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 Toronto 20,000 m
Bronze medal – third place2022 Freeport 20 km

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 minAlbany, United States31 May 2015 American Record
10 km44:09+ minEarth City, United States3 April 2016 American Record
15 km1:07:51+ hrsTaicang, China3 May 2014 American Record
20 km1:30:49 hrsTaicang, China3 May 2014 American Record
Track walk
5000 m21:48.09 minPhiladelphia, United States28 April 2018
10,000 m45:31.40 minManalapan, United States30 July 2017

Competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing the  United States
2003 World Youth Championships Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada 10th 5000 m track walk 24:52.06
2004 World Race Walking Cup (U20) Naumburg, Germany 29th 10 km 53:04
14th Junior team 68 pts
World Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy 22nd 10,000 m 51:42.95
2005 Pan American Race Walking Cup (U20) Lima, Peru 2nd 10 km 48:03
4th Junior team 19 pts
Pan American Junior Championships Windsor, Ontario, Canada 3rd 10,000 m 49:43.85
2006 NACAC U-23 Championships Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 5th 10,000 m walk 52:26.00
2007 Pan American Race Walking Cup Balneário Camboriú, Brazil 19th 20 km 1:53:55
4th Team 45 pts
NACAC Championships San Salvador, El Salvador 7th 10,000 m 59:00.37
2008 World Race Walking Cup Cheboksary, Russia 66th 20 km 1:45:02
15th Team 190 pts
2009 Pan American Race Walking Cup San Salvador, El Salvador 13th 20 km 1:50:21
3rd Team 39 pts
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 29th 20 km 1:38:54
Pan American Games Guadalajara, Mexico 9th 20 km 1:38:47 A
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 29th 20 km 1:32:27
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 33rd 20 km 1:33:51
2014 World Race Walking Cup Taicang, China 30th 20 km 1:30:49
12th Team 167 pts
2015 Pan American Race Walking Cup Arica, Chile 5th 20 km 1:34:06
3rd Team 35 pts
World Championships Beijing, China 20th 20 km 1:33:24
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 22nd 20 km 1:33:41
2018 NACAC Championships Toronto, Canada 1st 20,000 m 1:36:34 CR
2019 2019 World Athletics Championships Doha, Qatar 35th 20 km 1:46:02
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 22nd 35 km 2:58:51 PB
NACAC Championships Freeport, Bahamas 3rd 20 km 1:42:14.32

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. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/Results/Results22-1.htm
  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. 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".
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