Kat Matthews

Katrina Matthews (born 13 March 1991) is an English professional triathlete who races primarily in non-drafting, long-distance events. Her career includes a second place finish at the 2021 Ironman World Championship and second in the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship.[1][2] She was a member of the BMC Pro triathlon team 2020–2022 and is also a physiotherapist working for the British Army.[3]

Katrina Matthews
Katrina Matthews at IM UK in 2021
Personal information
Born (1991-03-13) 13 March 1991
Exmouth, Devon, England
Height165 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight58 kg (128 lb)
Websitewww.katrinamatthewstri.com
Sport
CountryUK
TeamCANYON p/b 2XU
Turned pro2019
Coached byBjörn Geesmann
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • Ironman: 8:32:51 (2023)
  • Ironman 70.3: 3:57:04(2023)
Medal record
Women's triathlon
Representing  Great Britain
Women's triathlon
Ironman
Silver medal – second place 2021 St GeorgeIndividual
Ironman 70.3
Silver medal – second place 2023 LahtiIndividual

Triathlon career

In 2018, as an amateur, Matthews won Ironman 70.3 Calgary as well as the UK National Championships later on in the year.[4][5] The next year, Matthews won Challenge Gran Canaria as an amateur securing her pro licence. She would then go on to podium at four middle distance events including winning the ETU European Championships.[6] This was also the year of her first Ironman, IM Western Australia. She came 4th with a debut time of 8:53:58.

In 2020 Matthews won Ironman Florida with a time of 8:40:50 – the 3rd fastest ever British woman.[7] In that autumn, post pandemic, she also won the Outlaw X[8][9] and IM 70.3 Tallinn.[10] Notably she also won the UK national 100-mile cycling TT in 3 hours and 55 minutes.[11][12]

In 2021, Matthews finished fourth at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St George. In the inaugural PTO Collins Cup she had the 4th fastest time, winning her match.[13][14] She also won IM UK in Bolton[15] and came 2nd to Daniela Ryf at IM Tulsa.[16]

In 2022, Matthews won Ironman Lanzarote 70.3 beating the reigning Ironman world champion Anne Haug by over 3 minutes.[17][18] Racing in her first Ironman World Championships in St George, Utah in May 2022 she was second to Daniela Ryf.[19] She had been invited to participate in the Sub7Sub8 challenge racing against Nicola Spirig.[20] Matthews smashed the 8-hour 'barrier' finishing ahead of Spirig with a time of 7:31:57, the fastest ever Ironman distance time.[21] While acclimatizing in Texas for the 2022 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, a driver drove into her resulting in very serious injuries.[22] Once sufficiently recovered her structured rehabilitation moved to an active return to training in December.[23] She finished ninth in the Professional Triathlon Organisation 2022 ranking list.[24] Matthews was named British Army Sportswoman of the Year 2022.[25]

In 2023, recovered and rehabilitated, Matthews returned to racing 'grateful' to finish a remarkable third at IM 70.3 Oceanside behind Tamara Jewett and the current world champion Chelsea Sodaro.[26] She followed this 3 weeks later with a win at Ironman Texas in a new best Ironman time for a British woman of 8:32:51.[27][28] In the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland, Matthews finished second to Taylor Knibb.[29]

Notable results

Some of Matthews' notable achievements include:

Date Event Rank
7 November 2020Ironman Florida1[30]
23 May 2021Ironman Tulsa2[31]
4 July 2021Ironman UK1[32]
28 August 2021Collins Cup4[33]
19 March 2022Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote1[34]
6 May 20222021 Ironman World Championship2[35]
22 April 2023Ironman Texas1[36]
26 August 2023Ironman 70.3 World Championship2[37]

References
  1. Heisler, Ryan (7 May 2022). "Ryf Returns to the Top, Wins 2021 Ironman World Title". Slowtwitch.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  2. "Taylor Knibb defends her title at the 2023 Vinfast Ironman 70.3 world championship triathlon in Lahti, Finland". Ironman. 26 August 2023.
  3. "GB's Matthews 'excited' about Ironman Worlds bid". BBC Sport.
  4. Birley, Steve (11 July 2019). "Exmouth's Katrina Rye – an athlete at the very top of her sport". Exmouth Journal.
  5. "Army physio overcomes injuries to win her first Ironman competition". The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
  6. "Top Kat – Katrina Rye wins ETU Middle Distance European Champs". TRI247. 8 July 2019.
  7. "Ironman-Distance Records | TriRating".
  8. "Matthews proves pick of Brit pack at Outlaw X". 220 Triathlon.
  9. "Goodwin and Matthews win the Outlaw X 'Battle Of The Brits'". TRI247. 27 September 2020.
  10. "Katrina Matthews, Daniel Bækkegård secure 70.3 Tallinn wins". TRI247. 5 September 2020.
  11. "Katrina Matthews wins National 100-mile TT Champs". 17 August 2020.
  12. "Captain Kat Matthews wins National 100 Mile Cycling Time Trial". 25 August 2020.
  13. "Katrina Matthews on Collins Cup, middle-distance future". TRI247. 31 August 2021.
  14. Vibe, Triathlon (31 August 2021). "Team Europe Win The Inaugural Collins Cup".
  15. "Kat Matthews on 2021 and more to come". www.britishtriathlon.org.
  16. "Ryf hangs on for Tulsa win". 23 May 2021.
  17. "IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote 2022 results: Magnificent Matthews!". TRI247. 19 March 2022.
  18. Howard, Luke (19 March 2022). "Katrina Matthews wins IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote".
  19. Turner, Jonathan (7 May 2022). "IRONMAN World Championship 2021 results: Ryf silences doubters". TRI247.
  20. "Kat Matthews to replace Lucy Charles-Barclay for Sub8 challenge". 220 Triathlon.
  21. Carlson, Timothy (5 June 2022). "Two men go sub7, Two women go sub8". Slowtwitch.com. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  22. "Crushed – The Kat Matthews Story – Episode 1". PTO. 12 February 2023.
  23. "Crushed – The Kat Matthews Story – Episode 3". PTO. 9 April 2023.
  24. "Professional Triathlon Organisation 2022-12-31 ranking list". PTO. 31 December 2022.
  25. "Kat Matthews named Army Sportswoman of the year 2022". TRI247. 22 November 2022.
  26. "IM 70.3 Oceanside 2023 women's results: Jewett outruns Sodaro". TRI247. 1 April 2023.
  27. "IRONMAN Texas 2023 women's results: Kat Matthews claims emotional win". TRI247. 22 April 2023.
  28. "Trirating – IM Records". Trirating. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  29. "Taylor Knibb defends her title at the 2023 Vinfast Ironman 70.3 world championship triathlon in Lahti, Finland". Ironman. 26 August 2023.
  30. "Katrina Matthews, Chris Leiferman take IRONMAN Florida wins". TRI247. 9 November 2020.
  31. "Kat Matthews hopes to emulate her 'idol' Daniela Ryf in St George". TRI247. 4 May 2022.
  32. "IRONMAN UK 2021: Skipper and Matthews reign". TRI247. 4 July 2021.
  33. "Collins Cup results 2021: Team Europe claim Samorin glory". TRI247. 28 August 2021.
  34. "Weekend round-up: Victory for Katrina Matthews and podium place for Jess Learmonth at IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote". www.britishtriathlon.org.
  35. "'An honour to come second': Matthews a match for the greats". TRI247. 8 May 2022.
  36. "IRONMAN Texas 2023 women's results: Kat Matthews claims emotional win". TRI247. 22 April 2023.
  37. "Taylor Knibb defends her title at the 2023 Vinfast Ironman 70.3 world championship triathlon in Lahti, Finland". Ironman. 26 August 2023.
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