{{short description|Swedish hammer thrower (born 1982)}} '''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 {{ill|Bjuråker|sv}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/5186331|title=Inget OS för Mattias Jons|date=10 July 2012|publisher=Sveriges Radio|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> He represented the club Järvsö IF before changing to the national elite club Hässelby SK.<ref name=grabb>{{cite web|url=https://friidrottensstora.se/member/nr-513-mattias-jons/|title=Nr. 513 – Mattias Jons|date=22 August 2017|publisher=Friidrottens stora grabbar och tjejer|language=sv|access-date=14 July 2025}}</ref>
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.<ref name=bio>{{IAAF name}}</ref> During the early 2000s, Jons attended Boise State University and competed for the Boise State Broncos.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://247sports.com/college/boise-state/article/jons-lands-top-qualifying-hammer-throw-104328731/|title=Jons Lands Top Qualifying Hammer Throw|date=6 June 2006|work=247 Sports|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}} 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.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}
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.<ref name=bio/>
==International breakthrough== Mattias Jons started 2010 with his first Swedish indoor title, coming in the weight throw. He won four times in a row until 2013.<ref name=bio/> He reached a length of 23.18 metres, which is the Swedish indoor record.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}
He competed at the 2010 European Winter Throwing Cup and the 2010 European Team Championships First League, and in June 2010 he set another personal best, this time 74.76 metres in Järvsjö.<ref name=bio/> Entering the 2010 European Championships, he threw 74.56 metres in the qualifying round to reach the final.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gp.se/sport/fulltraff-och-final-for-mattias-jons.d059889a-b381-4b49-bcfe-430437e116f0|title=Fullträff och final för Mattias Jons|date=27 July 2010|work=Göteborgs-Posten|agency=TT|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> However, in the final he failed to register a valid throw.<ref name=bio/>
He bounced back by becoming Swedish champion again in 2010 and 2011. He finished tenth at the 2011 European Team Championships Super League and competed at the 2011 World Championships without reaching the final, before achieving another podium at the Finland–Sweden International. He achieved a new personal best of 74.85 metres in June 2012 in Florø, then finished sixth at the 2012 European Championships. In July 2012, he continued with back-to-back personal bests, first 74.99 in Lillestrøm and 76.12 at the Meeting de Atletismo Madrid.<ref name=bio/> He was therefore dejected and angry when he was not selected for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Olympic Committee claimed that he was not a candidate for finishing in the top 8; however, Jons pointed to his personal bests, his sixth place at the Euros and fifth in Madrid. "I don't know how the fuck one can interpret this in any other way, than me reaching the top 8 in the first big meet before the Olympics".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/os-2014/mattias-jons-ratades-sok-beslutade-fel/|title=Mattias Jons ratades: "SOK beslutade fel"|date=9 July 2012|work=Expressen|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref>
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.<ref name=bio/>
Jons began his 2013 outdoor season at the 2013 European Winter Throwing Cup, doing four meets in the 72–73 metre range.<ref name=bio/> At the 2013 European Team Championships First League, he got no valid mark and thus did not score any points for Sweden.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.borlangetidning.se/2013-06-22/fiasko-for-mattias-jons-i-lag-em|title=Fiasko för Mattias Jons i lag-EM|date=22 June 2013|work=Borlänge Tidning|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> He bounced back at a series of meets in Finland,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svd.se/a/b201c40c-d8a2-3679-9509-e6347e03ad03/mattias-jons-tog-revansch-i-finland|title=Mattias Jons tog revansch i Finland|date=29 June 2013|work=Svenska Dagbladet|agency=TT|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> throwing 76.31 metres in July in Mänttä, and was selected for the 2013 World Championships,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gp.se/sport/mattias-jons-klar-for-vm-i-moskva.947a76e1-b1bd-485c-ae20-4ece3045670f|title=Mattias Jons klar för VM i Moskva|date=16 July 2013|work=Göteborgs-Posten|agency=TT|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> though he again bowed out in the qualifying round.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.moratidning.se/2013-08-11/jakla-besvikelse|title="Jäkla besvikelse"|date=11 August 2013|work=Mora Tidning|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> 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.<ref name=bio/> Jons rejoiced as he achieved a lifetime best of 76.39 metres, which also secured Sweden's first victory over Finland in the men's hammer throw since 1997.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/5639453|title=Mattias Jons bröt 16 år lång finsk dominans|date=7 September 2013|publisher=Sveriges Radio|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/dalarna/personbasta-av-mattias-jons|title=Personbästa av Mattias Jons|date=7 September 2013|publisher=SVT|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025|agency=TT}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/friidrott/mattias-jons-tunga-tid-i-ett-ingenmansland/|title=Mattias Jons tunga tid: "I ett ingenmansland"|date=22 May 2014|work=Expressen|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> His knee did not improve enough to continue as an elite athlete. Jons announced his retirement in December 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/6055600|title=Sista släggan är kastad – Mattias Jons slutar|date=27 December 2014|publisher=Sveriges Radio|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> He was indicted into the Swedish version of the hall of fame, receiving a Stora grabbars märke in 2017.<ref name=grabb/>
==Coaching career== Jons took a coaching education, dividing his work between the sports school in Falun and the Swedish Olympic Committee.<ref name=coach/> From May 2015 he coached Tracey Andersson.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.trelleborgsallehanda.se/artikel/jons-har-gett-tracey-en-nystart/|title=Jons har gett Tracey en nystart|date=22 August 2015|work=Trelleborgs Allehanda|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> He later coached Ragnar Carlsson.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nyaludvikatidning.se/2021-06-15/nu-har-eleven-passerat-laromastaren-men-inte-i-gymmet-borjar-jag-pika-honom-sa/|title=Nu har eleven passerat läromästaren – men inte i gymmet: ”Börjar jag pika honom så...”|date=15 June 2021|work=Nya Ludvika Tidning|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> Jons thus became accredited as a coach for the 2024 Summer Olympics, for the first time being included in a Swedish Olympic team.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hskfriidrott.se/nyheter/mattias-aentligen-uttagen-till-os/33429.aspx|title=Mattias äntligen uttagen till OS|date=10 July 2024|publisher=Hässelby SK|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref>
At the 2023 gala of Swedish athletics, Mattias Jons received the Coach of the Year award.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ljusnan.se/2023-01-27/mattias-jons-prisad-pa-friidrottsgalan-det-var-ganska-otroligt/|title=Mattias Jons prisad på friidrottsgalan: "Det var ganska otroligt"|date=27 January 2023|work=Ljusnan|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref> He also received a European Athletics honorary badge in 2023 (awarded in 2024).<ref name=coach>{{cite news|url=https://www.ht.se/2023-12-05/mattias-jons-internationellt-prisad-forsta-gangen-for-mig/|title=Mattias Jons internationellt prisad: ”Första gången för mig”|date=5 December 2023|work=Hudiksvalls Tidning|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref>
==International championships==
{| {{AchievementTable|nation=SWE|Event=yes|Result=yes|NotesOff=yes}} |- !scope="row"| 2010 !scope="row"| European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 12th | Hammer throw | {{AthAbbr|NM}} |- !scope="row"| 2011 !scope="row"| World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 32nd ({{Abbr|q|Qualification round}}) | Hammer throw | 67.93 m |- !scope="row"| 2012 !scope="row"| European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 6th | Hammer throw | 74.44 m |- !scope="row"| 2013 !scope="row"| World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 16th ({{Abbr|q|Qualification round}}) | Hammer throw | 73.47 m |}
==References== <references/>
==External links== *{{Sport links}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jons, Mattias}} Category:1982 births Category:21st-century Swedish sportsmen Category:Boise State Broncos men's track and field athletes Category:Hässelby SK athletes Category:Living people Category:People from Hudiksvall Category:Swedish Athletics Championships winners Category:Swedish athletics coaches Category:Swedish expatriates in the United States Category:Swedish men hammer throwers Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Sweden