Ainārs Kovals
Latvian javelin thrower (born 1981)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ainārs Kovals (born 21 November 1981) is a former Latvian track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. His personal best throw is 86.64 m. He achieved this at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where he finished second.[1]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 21 November 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 100 kg (220 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Latvia | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Javelin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 86.64 metres (2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated on 11 August 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||
He has been coached by Valentīna Eiduka. He is married to fellow javelin thrower Sinta Ozoliņa-Kovala.
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Latvia | ||||
| 2001 | European U23 Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 4th | 73.22 m |
| 2003 | European U23 Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 6th | 72.68 m |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 7th | 77.61 m |
| Universiade | İzmir, Turkey | 1st | 80.67 m | |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 5th | 85.95 m (PB) |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 5th | 82.32 m | |
| 2007 | Universiade | Bangkok, Thailand | 3rd | 82.23 m |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 2nd | 86.64 m (PB) |
| 2009 | Universiade | Belgrade, Serbia | 1st | 81.58 m |
| World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 7th | 81.54 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Thessaloniki, Greece | 7th | 80.07 m | |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 6th | 81.19 m |
| 2012 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 15th (q) | 76.32 m |
| Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 17th (q) | 79.19 m | |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 14th (q) | 77.70 m |
Seasonal bests by year
- 2002 - 75.05
- 2003 - 80.75
- 2004 - 82.13
- 2005 - 82.22
- 2006 - 85.95
- 2007 - 82.23
- 2008 - 86.64
- 2009 - 82.47
- 2010 - 82.33
- 2011 - 78.39
- 2012 - 83.89
- 2013 - 80.71
- 2014 - 81.75
- 2015 - 78.90
