| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | (1982-08-31)August 31, 1982 (age 43) |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[1] |
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
Event | Javelin throw |
| Coached by | Todd Reich |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest | Javelin: 83.08m |
Sean Furey (born August 31, 1982) is an American Olympicjavelin thrower with a personal best of 83.08 meters (272 feet, 7 inches). He has placed in the top three at the U.S. National Championships six times, winning the javelin event in 2010, 2014 and 2015. He represented the United States in international competition between 2009 and 2016, including 2 Olympic (2012, 2016), 2 World Championship (2009, 2015) and 2 Pan American (2011, 2015) teams. In 2009, at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Sean qualified for the final with a season best throw and ultimately finished 12th.
Furey was born August 31, 1982, to Kathy Furey (who later became Kathy Stupak by marriage).[1][2] He grew up inMethuen, Massachusetts, with his younger brother Ryan and began throwing thejavelin while atMethuen High School.[3] He won two state javelin championships and in 2000, won the National Scholastic Championship.[1] During his senior season, Furey led his school to theMerrimack Valley Conference title and was named to the All-Scholastic team by theBoston Herald.[4] He graduated from Methuen in 2000.[1] Furey also played on the school'sfootball team.[4]
After high school, Furey attendedDartmouth. He graduated in 2005 with a 3.80 GPA and an engineering degree.[1]
At Dartmouth, Furey set the school record in javelin, with a distance of 242-foot-3-inch (73.84 m).[1] In 2005, he won theIvy League championship and was named the "Scholar Athlete of the Year" by theU.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.[1] At the 2005NCAA Outdoor Championships, he placed third with a throw of 73.83 metres (242.2 ft).[1]
After college, Furey moved toSan Diego to train.[3] At the2008 Olympic Trials, he placed seventh. In 2009, he placed third in theNational Championships and qualified for Worlds with a throw of 76.16 metres (249.9 ft).[1] At theWorld Championships, he was in fifth place among the "B" group after the qualification round of the javelin throw. However, he did not match that success in the final and finished in 12th place out of 12 competitors that made the final.[1]
Furey won the 2010 National Championships with a throw of 79.86 metres (262.0 ft).[1] In 2011, he finished in second place, recording a distance of 77.99 metres (255.9 ft).[1] At the2011 Pan American Games, Furey placed fourth.[1]
At the2012 Olympic Trials, Furey was battling a back injury.[3]He placed fourth, throwing the javelin 77.86 metres (255.4 ft).[1] Two weeks prior to the Trials, he had met theOlympic "A" Standard of 82.00 metres (269.03 ft) by throwing a new personal best 82.73 metres (271.4 ft) inLisle, Illinois. First and second place did not make the make standard, allowing Furey and fifth-place finisherCyrus Hostetler to make the Olympic team.[3] After the meet, he remarked "It's mixed emotions, fourth place vs. the Olympic team ... It's bittersweet. I just didn't execute like I needed."[2]
Furey entered the 2012 Olympics with the longest throw by an American in 2012,[2] and was ranked number 16 in the world.[2] He competed in the "B" group preliminary round of the javelin throw on August 8. He placed 18th in his group and 37th overall and did not advance to the finals.[5]
Furey is coached by former OlympianTodd Reich and sponsored byMizuno.[3] "Todd is a talented guy," says Furey. "He knows what the elite javelin throwers are doing."[3] Furey says he has no plans to retire anytime soon. "I won't quit until my arm falls off," he said.[2]
Furey currently lives in San Diego, California with his wife Matthan "Mattie" Chatterton-Richmond.[2][3] He works part-time atRaytheon as amechanical engineer doing what he describes as "bomb-proofing electronics" for theUnited States Navy.[3] When asked why he chose to continue pursuing the javelin, instead of concentrating on his higher paying engineering career, Furey remarked "Missing out on money, I don't care. We have everything we need and more. Making money won't make me happier. Being on the Olympic team will make me happier."[2]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing the United States | |||||
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 12th | Javelin | 74.51m |
| 2012 | 2012 London Olympics | London,United Kingdom | 37th | Javelin | 72.81m |
| 2014 | Pan American Sports Festival | Ciudad de México,México | 3rd | Javelin | 77.23mA |
| 2015 | Pan American Games | Toronto, Canada | 5th | Javelin | 77.41 m |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 29th (q) | Javelin | 75.01 m | |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 35th (q) | Javelin | 72.61 m |
