Kovacs competed for Hungary in two swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Leading up to the Games, he finished with a second-place time in 1:49.91 (200 m freestyle) to dip beneath the FINA B-cut (1:52.53) at the Hungarian National Championships in Budapest. In the 200 m freestyle, Kovacs threw down a lifetime tech-suit best in 1:49.34 to race his way into third in heat four, but failed to advance further to the semifinals, finishing thirty-fifth overall in the prelims. Kovacs also competed as a member of the Hungarian team in the men's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, along with fellow swimmers Dominik Kozma, Tamás Kerékjártó, and Gergő Kis. Swimming the anchor leg in heat two, Kovacs recorded a split of 1:48.40, and the Hungarian team went on to finish the race in sixth place and thirteenth overall with a total time of 7:14.14.