Mattias Jons

Mattias Jons (born 19 November 1982) is a Swedish hammer thrower and coach. He finished sixth at the 2012 European Championships, competed at two World Championships, became Swedish champion seven times in a row as well as Swedish indoor champion four times in a row.

Early career Jons grew up in Ängebo near . He represented the club Järvsö IF before changing to the national elite club Hässelby SK.

Jons competed at his first Finland–Sweden Athletics International in 2002 and won his first medals at the Swedish championships, bronze medals in 2002 and 2003. He upgraded to silver at the Swedish nationals in 2004, also breaking the 65 metre barrier with a throw of 67.47 metres in Gothenburg in July. During the early 2000s, Jons attended Boise State University and competed for the Boise State Broncos. He finished second at the 2005 NCAA Division I Championships and 2006 NCAA Division I Championships, before appearing in his first European Cup First League contest. At the 2006 NCAA championship, he also broke the 70 metre barrier with a throw of 71.31 metres, which he improved to 71.61 in Boise in April 2007.

Bronze in 2005 and silver in 2006 at the Swedish championships were followed by his first gold in 2007; in 2008 he secured back-to-back titles, this time with a personal best of 72.63. In 2008 he also competed at another European Cup First League event, and got his first podium at the Finland–Sweden International, with a third place. The Swedish title and the Finnkampen third place were repeated in 2009, along with a tenth place at the 2009 European Team Championships Super League. Another personal best was set in June 2009 in Nyköping, this time with 74.23 metres. However, in the final he failed to register a valid throw.

He stabilized himself over 75 metres, recording 75.18 in Karlstad and 75.00 in Kuortane before the month of July was over. Jons wrapped up 2012 by becoming Swedish champion again, finishing second in the Finland–Sweden International and achieving his second best throw of 75.64 during a 2012 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge meet in Zagreb. He bounced back at a series of meets in Finland, throwing 76.31 metres in July in Mänttä, and was selected for the 2013 World Championships, though he again bowed out in the qualifying round. His penultimate competition was the Swedish championships, throwing 75.24 to take his seventh national title in a row, and his ultimate event was the 2013 Finland–Sweden International.

By 2014, he was injured and underwent knee surgery in April. He felt like he was in a "no man's land" regarding a continuation of his athletics career. His knee did not improve enough to continue as an elite athlete. Jons announced his retirement in December 2014. He was indicted into the Swedish version of the hall of fame, receiving a Stora grabbars märke in 2017. He later coached Ragnar Carlsson. Jons thus became accredited as a coach for the 2024 Summer Olympics, for the first time being included in a Swedish Olympic team.

At the 2023 gala of Swedish athletics, Mattias Jons received the Coach of the Year award. He also received a European Athletics honorary badge in 2023 (awarded in 2024).

International championships

2010 European Championships Barcelona, Spain 12th Hammer throw 2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 32nd Hammer throw 67.93 m 2012 European Championships Helsinki, Finland 6th Hammer throw 74.44 m 2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 16th Hammer throw 73.47 m