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Maria Michta-Coffey

{{short description|American race walker}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor =

| image = USATF day 2 2018 (28094034517).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Michta-Coffey at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

| birth_name =

| full_name = Maria Lynn Michta-Coffey

| nickname =

| nationality = American

| residence =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|06|23}}

| birth_place = Stony Brook, New York, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 5 ft 5 in

| weight = 115 lb

| website =

| country = {{USA}}

| sport = Track and field

| event = Racewalking

| collegeteam =

| club = Walk USA

| team =

| turnedpro =

| coach = Tim Seaman

| retired =

| pb = 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

| show-medals =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Women's Athletics/
track and field}}

{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|NACAC Championships}}

{{Medal|Gold |2018 Toronto | 20,000 m}}

{{Medal|Bronze |2022 Freeport | 20 km}}

}}

Maria Lynn 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 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/News/Race-Walker-Maria-Michta-earns-second-USATF-Athlet.aspx |title=USA Track & Field - Race Walker Maria Michta earns second USATF Athlete of the Week honors |publisher=Legacy.usatf.org |date= |accessdate=2022-09-08}} Michta won her 6th national title of 2014 on September 14 at the National 30k in Valley Cottage, NY.{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklandtimes.com/2014/09/18/michta-triumphs-in-usatf-30k-racewalk/|title=Michta Triumphs in USATF 30K Racewalk|date=18 September 2014}}

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.{{cite web| url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/Results/Results22-1.htm | title=Women's 20000 Meter Race Walk | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220065603/http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/Results/Results22-1.htm | archive-date=2019-12-20 | access-date=2024-02-24}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event=athletics-women-20km-walk/ |title=London 2012 - Women's 20km Race Walk results |access-date=2012-08-14 |archive-date=2013-01-03 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103203432/http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event=athletics-women-20km-walk/ |url-status=dead }}

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-Coffey is of Polish descent.{{cite web|url=http://www.mariamichta.com/2012/07/08/my-race-my-moment-my-becoming/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216105642/http://www.mariamichta.com/2012/07/08/my-race-my-moment-my-becoming/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 16, 2013 |title=My race, my moment, my BECOMING |last=Michta |first=Maria |date=July 8, 2012 |work=Maria Michta.com |access-date=January 27, 2013 }}

Michta graduated from high school in the Sachem School District on Long Island in New York in 2004.[http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Maria-Michta.aspx Maria Michta] 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[http://www.mariamichta.com/ Maria Michta.com: About Me!] in biomedical science.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/08/09/meet-maria-michta-a-race-walker-we-wont-soon-forget/|title=Meet Maria Michta, a race walker we won't soon forget|last=Johnson|first=K. C.|date=August 29, 2012|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=August 13, 2012}} 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. Currently, Michta-Coffey works as a Rapid Response and Procedural Physician Assistant.

Michta-Coffey married her Sachem High School sweetheart Joe Coffey on July 3, 2014. After her marriage, she began racing under the name Michta-Coffey.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/olympics/sachem-north-s-maria-michta-wins-another-national-championship-1.8602495|title=LI racewalker Michta wins national title}}

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

Michta-Coffey is the mother of children, Liliana Marie and Daniel Chester.

Personal bests

class="wikitable"
EventResultVenueDate
colspan="4"|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
colspan="4"|Track walk
5000 m21:48.09 minPhiladelphia, United States28 April 2018
10,000 m45:31.40 minManalapan, United States30 July 2017

Competition record

{{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
colspan="6"|Representing the {{USA}}
2003

|World Youth Championships

|Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

|10th

|5000 m track walk

|24:52.06

rowspan=3|2004

|rowspan=2|World Race Walking Cup (U20)

|rowspan=2|Naumburg, Germany

|29th

|10 km

|53:04

14th

|Junior team

|68 pts

World Junior Championships

|Grosseto, Italy

|22nd

|10,000 m

|51:42.95

rowspan=3|2005

|rowspan=2|Pan American Race Walking Cup (U20)

|rowspan=2|Lima, Peru

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

|10 km

|48:03

4th

|Junior team

|19 pts

Pan American Junior Championships

|Windsor, Ontario, Canada

| style="background:#c96;"|3rd

|10,000 m

|49:43.85

2006

|NACAC U-23 Championships

|Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

|5th

|10,000 m walk

|52:26.00

rowspan=3|2007

|rowspan=2|Pan American Race Walking Cup

|rowspan=2|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

rowspan=2|2008

|rowspan=2|World Race Walking Cup

|rowspan=2|Cheboksary, Russia

|66th

|20 km

|1:45:02

15th

|Team

|190 pts

rowspan=2|2009

|rowspan=2|Pan American Race Walking Cup

|rowspan=2|San Salvador, El Salvador

|13th

|20 km

|1:50:21

style="background:#c96;"|3rd

|Team

|39 pts

rowspan=2|2011

|World Championships

|Daegu, South Korea

|29th

|20 km

|1:38:54

Pan American Games

|Guadalajara, Mexico

|9th

|20 km

|1:38:47 {{AthAbbr|A}}

2012

|Olympic Games

|London, United Kingdom

|29th

|20 km

|1:32:27

2013

|World Championships

|Moscow, Russia

|33rd

|20 km

|1:33:51

rowspan=2|2014

|rowspan=2|World Race Walking Cup

|rowspan=2|Taicang, China

|30th

|20 km

|1:30:49

12th

|Team

|167 pts

rowspan=3|2015

|rowspan=2|Pan American Race Walking Cup

|rowspan=2|Arica, Chile

|5th

|20 km

|1:34:06

style="background:#c96;"|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

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|20,000 m

|1:36:34 CR

2019

|2019 World Athletics Championships

|Doha, Qatar

|35th

|20 km

|1:46:02

rowspan=2|2022

|World Championships

|Eugene, United States

|22nd

|35 km

|2:58:51 {{AthAbbr|PB}}

NACAC Championships

|Freeport, Bahamas

| style="background:#c96;"|3rd

|20 km

|1:42:14.32

References

{{Reflist|3}}

External links

{{Portal|Biography}}

  • {{World Athletics|name=Maria Michta-Coffey}}
  • {{USATF|Maria-Michta|Maria Michta}}
  • {{Team USA|new_id=maria-michta-coffey|old_id=MI/Maria-MichtaCoffey|archive=20221002193449}}
  • {{Olympics.com|maria-michta-coffey}}
  • {{Olympedia}}

{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in women's racewalking}}

{{Footer USA Track & Field 2012 Summer Olympics}}

{{Footer USA Track & Field 2016 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michta-Coffey, Maria}}

Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:American people of Polish descent

Category:American female race walkers

Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:People from Stony Brook, New York

Category:Sportspeople from Brookhaven, New York

Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States

Category:Pan American Games track and field athletes for the United States

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2011 Pan American Games

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 Pan American Games

Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners

Category:USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners

Category:21st-century American sportswomen

Category:20th-century American women

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2023 Pan American Games