Melbourne, Australia March 17- April 1, 2007 - Hanson Media Group

Australian Aquatics Media Guide - XII FINA World Swimming Championships – Melbourne March 17 – April 1, 2007 © HSM
NAME: MATT WELSH
NICKNAME: Welsh
D.O.B: 18/11/1976
AGE: 30
BORN: Melourne, VIC
LIVES: Melbourne, VIC
HGT: 189cm
WGT: 83Kg
CLUB/INSTITUTE: Melbourne Vicentre / VIS
TRAINS (Pool): MSAC
COACH: Ian Pope
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Triple Olympic medallist….won two silver and a bronze at
2000 Olympics….is a dual Olympian….has won 4 gold, 3 silver and a bronze at four
FINA World Championships….has won World titles in both fly and back….has won 7
gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze at four FINA World Short Course Championships ….has
won 4 Commonwealth Games gold medals….is a former world record holder in fly
(long course) and back (short course)….has won 24 long course titles and a record 28
Australian Short Course titles to make him the most decorated gold medallist in
Australian Championship history (52 gold)
IN 2007 Won 50m fly and 50 & 100m back at the Telstra Australian Championships in
Brisbane (Dec 06) IN 2006 Won gold in 4x100m medley relay and silver in 50m fly
and 100m back, as well as a finalist in 50m back at Commonwealth Games in
Melbourne….claimed gold in 50 & 100m back, as well as 2nd in 50m fly at Telstra
Commonwealth Games Trials in Melbourne….picked up gold in 50 & 100m back, 50m
fly, 4x100m medley and bronze in 200m back at FINA World Short Course
Championships in Shanghai….added bronze in 4x100m medley relay and was fifth in
100m back at Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, BC….won 50, 100, 200m back
and 50m fly at Telstra Australian Short Course Championships in Hobart IN 2005
Broke Commonwealth record on the way to winning the silver medal in the 50m back
at FINA World Championships in Montreal….won all three back events at Telstra
Trials in Sydney….won all three back events and 50m fly at the Telstra Australian
Short Course Championships in Melbourne to give him a record 24 National Short
Course titles IN 2004 Finished fifth in the 100m back at Athens Olympics…. won all
three back events at Telstra Olympic Team Selection Trials in Sydney….broke
Commonwealth 100m back record leading off a medley relay time trial at Telstra
Olympic Team Selection Trials….won silver medals in the 50, 100 & 200m back and
4x100m medley at the FINA World Short Course Championships in Indianapolis….
won all three back events at Telstra Australian Short Course Championships in
Brisbane IN 2003 Claimed gold in the 50m fly and silver in the 50 and 100m (tied
second) back at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona….broke world record in
50m fly at the FINA World Championships…. broke the Commonwealth 100m back
record at the Duel in the Pool in Indianapolis….won all three back events at the
Telstra Australian Championships in Sydney…. won all three back events plus the
50m fly and 100m IM at Telstra Australian Short Course Championships in Hobart
PREVIOUS YEARS 2002….won three gold at Manchester Commonwealth
Games….added two silver at the Pan Pacs in Yokohama….won two gold at FINA
World Short Course Championships in Moscow….2001….won 100m back and
4x100m medley and was third in 50m back at FINA World Championships in
Fukuoka….2000….took home silver in 100m back and 4x100m medley and bronze in
200m back from the Sydney Olympics….1999….won a silver at Pan Pacs in
Sydney….snared a gold, a silver and a bronze at FINA World Short Course
Championships in Hong Kong….1998….won first ever world title in medley relay at
FINA World Championships in Perth….1997….made Australian team debut at Pan
Pacs in Fukuoka
OUT OF THE POOL
FAMILY MEMBERS: Wife- Lauren, Mother- Tricia, Father- David, Brother- Cameron
35, Sister- Caroline 37; PERSONAL STUDIES/OCCUPATION: Full time professional
athlete; SPORTS BEFORE SWIMMING AND SPORTS YOU PLAY NOW: Soccer,
Athletics, Taekwondo, Tennis, Volleyball, Rowing and Water Polo ULTIMATE
RELAXATION: Sleeping on the beach on a sunny day; SPECIALITY IN THE
KITCHEN: Eating; ONE THING YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: My Holden;
FAVOURITE
FAVOURITE SPORTING TEAM: Essendon in the AFL; MOVIES: Yes; TV SHOW:
"The Simpsons"; BAND/MUSIC: 80's; DRINK: Chocolate milkshake or banana
milkshake; SWIM MEET: Duel in the Pool (one session); HOBBIES: PETS: Dog-
‘Louis’; WHAT'S YOUR GREATEST ASSET? My Holden; WHO HAS BEEN THE
BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN LIFE AND WHY? My father; HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS: I guess I'm; HAVE YOU
ENCOUNTERED ANY OBSTACLES DURING YOUR SWIMMING CAREER? 15m
rope; SWIMMING CAREER ULTIME GOAL: To know I did all I could; WHAT AGE
DID YOU START SWIMMING AND WHY: 18 after a successful school competition,
although in water all my life (within reason); NOTABLE QUOTE: "Are we there yet?"
AUSTRALIAN TEAM REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS AND RESULTS
EVENT LOCATION YEAR RESULTS
Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 2000 2 nd 100m back, 4x100 medley; 3 rd 200m back
Athens, Greece 2004 5 th 100m back; 9 th 4x100m medley; 19 th 200m back
World Champs Perth, Australia 1998 1 st 4x100 medley; 6 th 100m back
Fukuoka, Japan 2001 1 st 100m back, 4x100 medley; 3 rd 50m back; 4 th 200m back
Barcelona, Spain 2003 1 st 50m fly; 2 nd 50m back, =2 nd 100m back; 5 th 200m back
Montreal, Canada 2005 2 nd 50m back; 9 th 100m back; 18 th 200m back
Commonwealth Games Manchester, England 2002 1 st 50m, 100m back, 4x100m medley
Melbourne, Australia 2006 1 st 4x100m medley; 2 nd 100m back, 50m fly; 4 th 50m back
World Short Course Hong Kong , China 1999 1 st 4x100 medley; 2 nd 100m back; 3 rd 50m back
Moscow, Russia 2002 1 st 50m, 100m back
Indianapolis, USA 2004 2 nd 50m, 100m, 200m back, 4x100m medley
Shanghai, China 2006 1 st 50m, 100m back, 50m fly, 4x100m medley; 3 rd 200m back
Pan Pacific Champs Fukuoka, Japan 1997
Sydney, Australia 1999 2 nd 100m back
Yokohama, Japan 2002 2 nd 200m back, 4x100 medley
Victoria, BC, Canada 2006 3 rd 4x100m medley; 5 th 100m back
Goodwill Games Brisbane, Australia 2001 1 st 100m back, overall team; 2 nd 50m, 200m back
Duel in the Pool Indianapolis, USA 2003 1 st 100m back; 2 nd 200m back
Irvine, USA 2005 2 nd 4x100m medley; 3 rd 200m back; 4 th 100m back
PERSONAL BEST TIMES AND RANKINGS- LONG COURSE:
EVENT PERSONAL BEST AUST. RANKING MEET
50m butterfly 23.43 Australian Record 2003 World Champs
50m backstroke 24.99 Australian Record 2005 World Champs
100m backstroke 53.78 Commonwealth Record 2004 Aust Champs
200m backstroke 1:57.59 Australian Record 2000 Olympic Games
Individual Australian Long Course Titles: 24
9 – 50m backstroke (97, 99, 00, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07);
9 – 100m backstroke (97, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07);
5 – 200m backstroke (00, 01, 03, 04, 05);
1 – 50m butterfly (07)