Tom Pukstys

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Tom Pukstys
Personal information
Full nameThomas Paul Pukstys
National team United States
Born (1968-05-28) May 28, 1968 (age 53)
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight216 lb (98 kg)
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Javelin throw
College teamCollege of DuPage
University of Florida

Thomas Paul Pukstys (born May 28, 1968) is a former American track and field athlete who was a javelin thrower. Pukstys was a six-time U.S. javelin champion, and represented the United States at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.

Biography[]

Pukstys parents came to the U.S. from Lithuania in 1949. He was born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He graduated from Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois. His older brother Andrew was attending medical school in Lithuania, and returned home with a gift for Pukstys: a javelin. Thereafter, Pukstys quit the high school baseball team, and went out for the track team, throwing the javelin 155 feet in his first track meet.

For his first two years as an undergraduate, Pukstys enrolled in the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, and was a member of the DuPage Chaparrals track and field team. After his sophomore year, he accepted an athletic scholarship to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a member of the Florida Gators track and field team. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in public relations in 1992.

Pukstys broke his first American record in June 1993. His personal best was a throw of 87.12 meters in 1997.

Pusktys was an assistant track and field coach for the U.S. Olympic team that competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Seasonal bests by year[]

  • 1987 - 71.34
  • 1988 - 75.72
  • 1989 - 74.82
  • 1990 - 83.30
  • 1991 - 81.68
  • 1992 - 83.20
  • 1993 - 85.70
  • 1994 - 82.32
  • 1995 - 84.50
  • 1996 - 86.82
  • 1997 - 87.12
  • 1998 - 85.06
  • 1999 - 84.11
  • 2000 - 84.25
  • 2001 - 79.48
  • 2003 - 79.31
  • 2004 - 78.85

Achievements[]

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 26th 74.72 m
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 10th 76.72 m
1993 World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 9th 77.92 m
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 19th 76.12 m
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, Georgia, United States 8th 83.58 m
1997 World Championships Athens, Greece 15th 78.64 m
IAAF Grand Prix Final Fukuoka, Japan 4th 85.68 m
1998 Goodwill Games Uniondale, New York, United States 2nd 79.86 m
1999 World Championships Seville, Spain — DNS
2001 World Championships Edmonton, Canada 20th 78.10 m

See also[]

  • Florida Gators
  • List of University of Florida alumni
  • List of University of Florida Olympians

References[]

  • Tom Pukstys at World Athletics
  • USATF Profile
  • Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Tom Pukstys". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.


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