Matthew "Matt" Welsh is an Australian swimmer who is the former world champion in the backstroke

Backstroke

The backstroke, also sometimes called the back crawl, is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not being able to see where they are going. It is also the only...

 and butterfly

Butterfly

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...

. Welsh trained under coach Ian Pope

Ian Pope

Ian Pope is an Olympic and national swimming coach from Australia. As of 2010, he is the head coach of Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club in Melbourne...

 at the Melbourne Vicentre

Melbourne Vicentre

Melbourne Vicentre is a swimming club based at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre , Melbourne, Australia. Its head coach is Ian Pope, who is also supported by Craig Jackson and Alex Hirschauer . Vicentre is one of the largest clubs in Victoria, and competes in state and national swimming...

 Club. He took two golds in 50 metres butterfly and 50 metres backstroke, during one hour, at the World Championships in Shanghai 2006. Welsh announced his retirement from professional swimming on 24 March 2008 when he failed to secure a place at the Beijing Olympics.

Early years

Welsh started swimming in his final years at Scotch College

Scotch College, Melbourne

Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

, Melbourne and moved into competitive swimming in 1995 after leaving school at the age of eighteen. His first big break came in 1998 at the world swimming championships in Perth, Western Australia

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

 with a gold in the 4 x 100m medley relay.

World and Olympic accomplishments

Event Time Place 1998 World Championships 100m Backstroke 55.45 6th 4x100m 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 4x100m 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 4x100m Medley 3:34.93 Gold

Event Time Place 2000 Olympics 100m Backstroke 54.07 Silver AR 200m Backstroke 1:57.59 Bronze AR 4x100m Medley 3:35.27 Silver AR 2004 Olympics 100m Backstroke 54.52 5th 200m Backstroke 2:01.73 19th 4x100m Medley 3:39.14 9th

Welsh was unable to beat the younger generation at the trials and did not 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 has 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 Australian television personality Lauren Newton on 4 November 2006 at St Dominic's Catholic Church in Melbourne. They announced their engagement on 15 December 2005. They are parents to Sam Albert, born January 2008 and Eva Eunice, born May 2009.