Welsh only started swimming backstroke seriously in 1996, before that he had been a butterfly swimmer. Despite this, Welsh confirmed his status as Australia��s best male backstroker at the Olympic trials in May where he won the 100m-200m double. In doing so, he overcame some pretty stiff opposition.
Name: Matt Welsh Country: Australia State: Victoria Date of Birth: 18/11/1976 Sport: Swimming Event(s): 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke Club: Surrey Park Coach: Ian Pope Personal best: 100m backstroke: 54.14 seconds, 200m backstroke: 1:59.22 minutes Why my Hero: he is my hero because he swims Really good.
Career Achievements: 1998: gold in the 4x100m medley relay team at the World Championships. 1999: silver in the 100m backstroke at Pan Pacific Championships.
Prospects: Is an outside chance for a medal, particularly in the 100m
For a number of years, the Australian men��s swim team has been bereft of world-class talent in the backstroke ranks. But all of a sudden, a number of very good swimmers have emerged at once. Besides Welsh, Australia boasts Josh Watson, Cameron Delaney and Ray Haas in the backstroke ranks, giving it enviable strength in depth. So strong is their competition that Haas was not able to make the team for Sydney.
A late bloomer, Welsh only began swimming in 1995 and he has improved rapidly throughout his career. He made his first national team by winning the 100m backstroke at the trials for the 1998 World Championships.
It was a memorable meet for Welsh. Not only did he make the final of his individual event, finishing sixth, but he also swam the first leg of Australia��s gold medal winning 4x100m medley relay team (with Phil Rogers, Michael Klim and Chris Fydler). But disappointment was to follow - he missed selection for the Commonwealth Games team.
The performance of Welsh in the 200m at that meet illustrates how rapidly he is improving. At the Pan Pacs he finished 11th in the 200m in a time of 2:01.57 minutes. Fellow Australians Haas, Delaney and Watson all finished above him in the rankings, all three of them making the final. But at the Olympic trials in May, he won the event in 1:59.22, with Delaney second. This improvement is a double positive for the Australian swim team.
Putting that behind him Welsh made the team for the Pan Pacific Championships last August, pitting him against the best in the world: American Lenny Krayzelburg. Welsh was part of a memorable final on day three of the finals, finished second as Krayzelburg set a new world record. Welsh��s compatriot and team-mate for the 100m backstroke in Sydney, Josh Watson, took the bronze.
Not only does it give the team a strong male backstroker for the first time in several years, it also strengthens an already formidible 4x100m medley relay team. If he can sustain his improvement, Welsh could find himself among the medal prospects in Sydney in both the 100m and 200m, although even he would admit he is not in the same class as Krayzelburg.
Such an effort would be a world away from the Matt Welsh who was only ever a casual swimmer at Melbourne��s Scotch College. He has much to thank coach Ian Pope for, after Pope convinced him to begin swimming competitively in 1995. Welsh is still with Pope, although his university studies have been put on hold while he explores his potential in the pool.
2002 Commonwealth Games.
Matt Welsh torpedoed the Thorpedo's quest for a record seven gold medals
At the Manchester Commonwealth Games overnight with an easy victory in the 100m backstroke.
Welsh handed Ian Thorpe a backstroke lesson, powering to the wall in 54.72s to claim his second gold medal of the Games. Thorpe, the world's best freestyle swimmer, was seeking a sixth gold of the Manchester Games but had to settle for silver in 55.38s, the fastest 100m backstroke swim of his career. He was only 0.06s in front of Malaysian bronze medallist Alex Lim (55.44s). The effort takes Thorpe from fourth to third on the Australian all-time rankings for the event behind Welsh, the world 100m backstroke champion, and Josh Watson.