Pavel Anatolyevich Kolovkov was born in Moscow on 22 September 1969. He graduated from the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism (SCOLIPE) in 1991 and from Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL) in 1998.

From 1987–2008 he served as a member of the USSR and Russian Federation fencing teams, becoming a six-time world champion (in 1991, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2003 and 2005), individual Olympic champion (2000), and a two-time Olympic silver and three-time bronze medalist. He is an Honoured Master of Sport (a title awarded to sportsmen achieving outstanding international success).

From 2007— Deputy CEO, Dynamo Sports Club.

October 2010—October 2016 — Deputy Minister for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy (following the restructuring of the ministry in 2012 — Deputy Minister for Sport), while concurrently serving as a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.

October 2016—January 2020 — Minister for Sport of the Russian Federation.

Full State Counsellor (2nd class) of the Russian Federation from 2016. Awarded the Order of Honour medal, Order of Friendship medal, Order of Alexander Nevsky medal, and the Order for Service to the Fatherland medal (1st and 2nd class).