Mathew Belcher

Mathew "Mat" Belcher, OAM (born 20 September 1982) is an Australian sailor and a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 470 dinghy, who currently competes with crew Will Ryan. In 2011, following World Championship and World Cup success, he and Malcolm Page were shortlisted by the International Sailing Federation for the ISAF World Sailor of the Year Awards. Belcher was selected as the Australian flag bearer for the closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics after winning a second gold medal and third successive medal in the 470 class.

Mathew Belcher
Personal information
Born (1982-09-20) 20 September 1982
Gold Coast, Queensland
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight62 kg (9 st 11 lb; 137 lb)
Sailing career
Class(es)420, 470
CoachVictor Kovalenko
Medal record
Sailing
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 470 class
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 470 class
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 470 class
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2000 La Rochelle 420
Gold medal – first place 2010 The Hague 470
Gold medal – first place 2011 Perth 470
Gold medal – first place 2012 Barcelona 470
Gold medal – first place 2013 La Rochelle 470
Gold medal – first place 2014 Santander 470
Gold medal – first place 2015 Haifa 470
Gold medal – first place 2017 Thessaloniki 470
Gold medal – first place 2018 Brisbane Etchells
Gold medal – first place 2019 Enoshima 470
Bronze medal – third place 2016 San Isidro 470
Updated on December 2016.

Belcher is regarded as the most successful Australian Olympic sailor in history with two gold and one silver medal, adding to his 10 world titles.[2]

Earlier years

Mathew grew up on the Gold Coast, Queensland and therefore was always surrounded by water. He was only six years old when he started sailing in a 10-year-old Sabot (dinghy) tied to the back of his parents' boat.

In 1989 at the age of seven Mathew competed in his first race at the Southport Yacht Club.[3]

Sailing career

Having won the 420 World Championship in 2000, the feeder class to the 470, while still conducting his school at The Southport School on the Gold Coast, Belcher was given the distinction of carrying the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics. At that point, he decided to become an Olympian. Coach Victor Kovalenko invited him onto the Australian 470 sailing squad where he became the tuning partner for Nathan Wilmot and Page. As a helmsman, Belcher rose to the #1 ISAF ranking in 2007 but did not qualify for the 2008 Olympics when Wilmot and Page won the 470 World Championship and then went on to represent Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Olympic Games

Together with 2008 Olympic gold medalist Malcolm Page, Belcher won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the 470 class.[4] Together with Will Ryan, Belcher was runner up in the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning the silver medal in the 470 class.[5] In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Belcher and Ryan won the gold medal in the 470 class.[6]

In October 2022 Belcher announced his retirement from Olympic sailing and will serve as CEO of Zhik, a sailing clothing company.[7]

Recognition

2012 – Australian Sailing Awards – Male Sailor of the Year (with Malcolm Page)

2013 – Australian Sailing Awards – Male Sailor of the Year (with Will Ryan)

2013 – Australian Institute of Sport Awards – Team of the Year (with Will Ryan)

2014 – Australian Sailing Awards – Male Sailor of the Year (with Will Ryan)

2015 – Australian Sailing Awards – Male Sailor of the Year (with Will Ryan)

2019 – Australian Sailing Awards – Male Sailor of the Year (with Will Ryan)

2019 – Australian Institute of Sport Awards – Team of the Year (with Will Ryan) [8]

2021 – Australian Sailing Awards – Male Sailor of the Year (with Will Ryan)[9]

2022 – Australian Sailing Hall of Fame[10]

References
  1. "Mathew Belcher". Official Site of the 2012 Australian Olympic Team. Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. "Australia's 15th gold medal of Tokyo Games secured by 470 class sailors". the Guardian. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  3. "Mat Belcher". Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  4. Staff writers (11 August 2012). "Belcher and Page win 470 sailing gold". ABC London 2012. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  5. Ashton, Mark; McKern, James (2 September 2016). "Silver sailors saw stranger things". ESPN.com. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  6. "Australian duo Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan win gold in men's 470 sailing at Tokyo Olympics". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  7. "Triple Olympic medalist Mat Belcher takes over the helm at Zhik". www.sail-world.com. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  8. "Barty Party continues at the AIS Awards". Sport Australia. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  9. "Belcher, Ryan and Darmanin create history at Australian Sailing Awards". Australian Sailing. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  10. "Sailing Legends Inducted to Australian Sailing Hall of Fame". Australian Sailing. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
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