Matt Richards (swimmer)

Matthew Richards MBE (born 17 December 2002) is a British swimmer specialising in 100 and 200 metre freestyle, active internationally from 2020. He won the gold medal in the 200 metre freestyle at 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Olympic gold in the 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics and World gold in the same event at the 2023 World Championships.

Matthew Richards
MBE
Richards in 2021
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (2002-12-17) 17 December 2002
Worcester, England
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2020 Tokyo4×200 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place2023 Fukuoka200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place2023 Fukuoka4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2022 Budapest4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2023 Fukuoka4×100 m mixed freestyle
European Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place2020 Budapest4×100 m mixed freestyle
Gold medal – first place2022 Rome4×200 m mixed freestyle
Silver medal – second place2020 Budapest4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place2020 Budapest4×200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place2022 Rome4×100 m mixed freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2022 Rome4×100 m freestyle

Richards swam the third leg of the gold-medal winning Great Britain 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, the first British team to win the event since 1908. Previously, he had won two silver medals in team freestyle relays at the European Championships.[1] In 2023 he won the British Championships in the 200 metres for the first time, holding off Olympic champion Tom Dean, former World Champion James Guy and multiple Olympic and World medalist Duncan Scott, all teammates from the 2020 relay squad. In July 2023, Richards again held off Dean as well as defending World champion David Popovici to win the gold medal in the 2023 World Championships, before following up with gold in the men's 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay and bronze in the mixed 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay.

Early life

Matt Richards was born in Droitwich, Worcester, England, to Amanda and Simon Richards.[2][3] He started swimming when he was five years old at Droitwich Leisure Centre, and joined the Droitwich Dolphins Swimming Club when he was eight, later moving to Worcester Swimming Club aged ten. He played other sports such as rugby and tae kwon do but gave them up to concentrate on swimming.[4] He was a student at Bishop Perowne Church of England College.[5]

Career

Although born in England, Richards represented Wales as his father was born there. He broke the Welsh records in 100 and 200 metre freestyle.[6] He became the junior champion in 100 m freestyle at the 2019 European Junior Swimming Championships held in Kazan.[7]

He competed in the men's 100 metre freestyle event at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships, in Budapest, Hungary,[8] and won two silver as part of the British team in the men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle and 4 × 200 metre freestyle relays.[9][10] He was also part of the team that won gold in 4×100 m mixed freestyle, although he swam in the heats and did not swim in the finals.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was in the men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay together with James Guy, Duncan Scott, and Tom Dean. He swam the third leg in 1 minute 45.01 seconds, a performance that helped the team win gold with a time of six minutes 58.58 seconds.[11] The gold is Britain's first in 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay at the Olympics since 1908.[11]

In 2023, he won the gold medal at the 2023 British Swimming Championships in the 200 metres freestyle.[12]

Awards

Richards was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to swimming.[13][14]

References
  1. "Three British medals on opening day of swimming at European Championships". Swimming.org. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  2. "Who is Matt Richards". Matt Richards.
  3. Rehman, Shannen (28 July 2021). "Droitwich-born Matthew Richards helps bring home Olympic gold medal". Worcester News.
  4. "Worcester swimmer Matt Richards targets place at 2020 Olympics". Worcester News. 24 November 2014.
  5. "Swimming success for Year 8 pupil". Bishop Perowne Church of England College.
  6. Brown, Tom (17 May 2021). "'We're not going to Tokyo for the tracksuits' - meet two rising stars of Welsh swimming". BBC Sport Wales.
  7. "Richards strikes gold for Britain at European Junior Swimming Championships". Swimming.org. 5 July 2019.
  8. "Men's 100 metre freestyle: Start list" (PDF). Budapest 2000. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. "European Swimming Championships: Great Britain win silver in men's 4x100m freestyle". BBC Sport. 17 May 2021.
  10. "European Swimming Championships: GB win silver in men's 4x200m freestyle". BBC News. 19 May 2021.
  11. "Matthew Richards fires Team GB to stunning gold in men's 4x200m freestyle relay". EuroSport. 28 July 2021.
  12. "British Swimming Championships 2023". British Swimming. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  13. "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N24.
  14. "New Year Honours 2022: Jason Kenny receives a knighthood and Laura Kenny made a dame". BBC Sport. 31 December 2021.
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