Matt Welsh
Matthew James Welsh, OAM (born 18 November 1976) is an Australian swimmer who is the former world champion in the backstroke and butterfly. He took two golds in 50-metre butterfly and 50-metre backstroke, during one hour, at the World Championships in Shanghai 2006. Welsh retired from professional swimming in March 2008 when he failed to secure a place in the team for the Beijing Olympics.[1]
Early years
Welsh started swimming in his final years at Scotch College, Melbourne and moved into competitive swimming in 1995 after leaving school at the age of eighteen. He trained under coach Ian Pope at the Melbourne Vicentre Club. His first big break came in 1998 at the world swimming championships in Perth, Western Australia with a gold in the 4x100-metre medley relay.
World and Olympic accomplishments
Event |
Time |
Place |
1998 World Championships |
100m Backstroke | 55.45 |
6th |
4 × 100 m Medley | 3:37.98 |
Gold | AR |
2001 World Championships |
50m Backstroke | 25.49 |
Bronze |
100m Backstroke | 54.31 |
Gold |
200m Backstroke | 1:58.80 |
4th |
4 × 100 m Medley | 3:35.35 |
Gold |
2003 World Championships |
50m Butterfly | 23.43 |
Gold | WR |
50m Backstroke | 25.01 |
Silver | AR |
100m Backstroke | 53.92 |
Silver | AR |
200m Backstroke | 1:57.94 |
5th |
2005 World Championships |
50m Backstroke | 24.99 |
Silver | AR |
100m Backstroke | 54.89 |
9th |
200m Backstroke | 2:02.64 |
18th |
2007 World Championships |
50m Backstroke | 25.61 |
8th |
100m Backstroke | 54.65 |
7th |
4 × 100 m Medley | 3:34.93 |
Gold |
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Event |
Time |
Place |
2000 Olympics |
100m Backstroke | 54.07 |
Silver | AR |
200m Backstroke | 1:57.59 |
Bronze | AR |
4 × 100 m Medley | 3:35.27 |
Silver | AR |
2004 Olympics |
100m Backstroke | 54.52 |
5th |
200m Backstroke | 2:01.73 |
19th |
4 × 100 m Medley | 3:39.14 |
9th |
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At 31 and after 11 years on the Australian Swim Team, Welsh was unable to beat the younger generation at the trials and was not selected to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Swimming history
Welsh has won several world championship titles in both backstroke and butterfly. He first broke the Australian record in the 100 metre backstroke in 1998. He also won more Australian swimming titles than any swimmer in history, claiming his 50th win at the 2006 Australian titles in Brisbane in December 2006.
Personal life
Welsh married Lauren Newton, the daughter of Bert Newton, on 4 November 2006. They are parents to a son Sam, born January 2008 and two daughters, Eva, born May 2009 and Lola, born March 2012.
Awards and honours
See also
References
External links
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- 1973: USA (Stamm, Hencken, Bottom, Montgomery)
- 1975: USA (Murphy, Colella, Jagenburg, Coan)
- 1978: USA (Jackson, Nevid, Bottom, McCagg)
- 1982: USA (Carey, Lundquist, Gribble, Gaines)
- 1986: USA (Veatch, Lundberg, Morales, Biondi)
- 1991: USA (Rouse, Wunderlich, Henderson, Biondi)
- 1994: USA (Rouse, Wunderlich, Henderson, Hall, Jr.)
- 1998: Australia (Welsh, Rogers, Klim, Fydler)
- 2001: Australia (Welsh, Harrison, Huegill, Thorpe)
- 2003: USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak)
- 2005: USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak)
- 2007: Australia (Welsh, Rickard, Lauterstein, Sullivan)
- 2009: USA (Peirsol, Shanteau, Phelps, Walters)
- 2011: USA (Thoman, Gangloff, Phelps, Adrian)
- 2013: France (Lacourt, Perez d'Ortona, Stravius, Gilot)
- 2015: USA (Murphy, Cordes, Shields, Adrian)
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- 1993: United States (Schwenk, Wunderlich, Henderson, Olsen)
- 1995: New Zealand (Winter, Kent, Callaghan, Bray)
- 1997: Australia (Radley, Rogers, Huegill, Klim)
- 1999: Australia (Welsh, Rogers, Klim, Fydler)
- 2000: United States (Krayzelburg, Marrs, Walker, Tucker)
- 2002: United States (Peirsol, Denniston, Marshall, Lezak)
- 2004: United States (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak)
- 2006: Australia (Welsh, Rickard, Pine, Callus)
- 2008: Russia (Donets, Geybel, Korotyshkin, Sukhorukov)
- 2010: United States (Thoman, Alexandrov, Lochte, Weber-Gale)
- 2012: United States (Grevers, Cordes, Shields, Lochte)
- 2014: Brazil (Guido, Silva, Macedo, Cielo)
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- 1930 – 1934: 100 Yards Backstroke
- 1938 – 1966: 110 Yards Backstroke
- 1970 – 2010: 100 Metres Backstroke
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- 1934: 3×100 yards
- 1938 – 1954: 3×110 yards
- 1958 – 1966: 4×110 yards
- 1970 – 2014: 4×100 metres
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- 1934: Canada (Gazell, Burleigh, Puddy)
- 1938: England (Dove, Davies, Taylor)
- 1950: England (Hale, Kendall, Romain)
- 1954: Australia (Weld, Hawkins, Henricks)
- 1958: Australia (Chapman, Monckton, Devitt, Gathercole)
- 1962: Australia (Dickson, O'Brien, Carroll, Berry)
- 1966: Canada (Gilchrist, Chase, Hutton, Jacks)
- 1970: Canada (MacDonald, Rogers, Wenden, Devenish)
- 1974: Canada (MacDonald, Kasting, Mahony, Kennedy)
- 1978: Canada (Sawchuk, Thompson, Smith, Tapp)
- 1982: Australia (Orbell, Sieben, Brooks, Evans)
- 1986: Canada (Tewksbury, Davis, Ponting, Baumann)
- 1990: Canada (Cleveland, Gery, Tewksbury, Ponting)
- 1994: Australia (Fydler, Rogers, Miller, Dewick)
- 1998: Australia (Watson, Cowley, Huegill, Klim)
- 2002: Australia (Welsh, Piper, Huegill, Thorpe)
- 2006: Australia (Welsh, Rickard, Klim, Sullivan)
- 2010: Australia (Delaney, Rickard, Huegill, Sullivan)
- 2014: England (Walker-Hebborn, Peaty, Barrett, Brown)
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