Matt Grevers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matt Grevers

Grevers in 2009
Personal information
Nickname(s)	"Matt," "Dutch," "The Gentle Giant"
Born	(1985-03-26) March 26, 1985 (age 40) Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S.
Height	6 ft 8 in
Weight	240 lb
Spouse(s)	Annie Chandler
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke, freestyle, butterfly
Club	Patriot Aquatics SC Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics
College team	Northwestern University
Coach	Lea Maurer (Patriot Aquatics) Bob Groseth (Northwestern) Rick Demont (Tucson Ford)
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 2 0 World Championships (LC) 6 5 2 World Championships (SC) 6 5 4 Pan Pacific Championships 1 1 0 Universiade 1 3 2 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2008 Beijing 4×100 m medley Gold 2012 London 100 m backstroke Gold 2012 London 4×100 m medley Silver 2008 Beijing 100 m backstroke Silver 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2009 Rome 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 4×100 m medley Gold 2013 Barcelona 100 m backstroke Gold 2015 Kazan 4×100 m medley Gold 2017 Budapest 4×100 m medley Gold 2017 Budapest 4×100 m mixed medley Silver 2013 Barcelona 50 m backstroke Silver 2015 Kazan 50 m backstroke Silver 2017 Budapest 100 m backstroke Silver 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m medley Silver 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m mixed medley Bronze 2015 Kazan 100 m backstroke Bronze 2017 Budapest 50 m backstroke World Championships (SC) Gold 2012 Istanbul 100 m backstroke Gold 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m medley Gold 2014 Doha 4×50 m mixed freestyle Gold 2018 Hangzhou 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2018 Hangzhou 4×100 m medley Silver 2006 Shanghai 4×100 m medley Silver 2012 Istanbul 50 m backstroke Silver 2014 Doha 4×50 m freestyle Silver 2014 Doha 4×100 m medley Silver 2018 Hangzhou 4×50 m medley Bronze 2006 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2014 Doha 100 m backstroke Bronze 2014 Doha 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2014 Doha 4×50 m medley Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley Silver 2014 Gold Coast 100 m backstroke Universiade Gold 2007 Bangkok 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2005 Izmir 100 m backstroke Silver 2005 Izmir 4×100 m medley Silver 2007 Bangkok 4×100 m medley Bronze 2005 Izmir 50 m backstroke Bronze 2005 Izmir 4×100 m freestyle Representing the Northwestern Wildcats Event 1st 2nd 3rd NCAA Championships 4 1 2 Total 4 1 2 By race Event 1st 2nd 3rd 100 y backstroke 2 0 1 200 y backstroke 1 0 0 200 y medley 0 1 0 4×100 y freestyle 0 0 1 4×100 y medley 1 0 0 NCAA Championships Gold 2005 Minneapolis 100 y backstroke Gold 2006 Atlanta 100 y backstroke Gold 2007 Minneapolis 200 y backstroke Gold 2007 Minneapolis 4×100 y medley Silver 2007 Minneapolis 200 y medley Bronze 2007 Minneapolis 100 y backstroke Bronze 2007 Minneapolis 4×100 y freestyle

Matthew "Matt" Grevers (born March 26, 1985) is a former American swimmer. He was known for competing in backstroke and freestyle events. Matt is a six-time Olympic medalist.

He won an amazing thirty-three medals in big international swimming events. These include fourteen gold, twelve silver, and seven bronze medals. His wins were at the Olympics, World Championships, and the Universiade.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Matt won two gold medals. He was part of the U.S. teams for the 4×100-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley relays. He also earned a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke.

Four years later, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won two more gold medals. These were for the 100-meter backstroke and the 4×100-meter medley relay. He also got a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

Matt's Early Life and Swimming Journey

Matt Grevers was born on March 26, 1985, in Lake Forest, Illinois. His parents are Ed and Anja Grevers. His mother was a swim coach.

Matt went to Lake Forest High School. His older sister, Carolyn, swam for the University of Kansas. His older brother, Andrew, swam for Northern Illinois.

Matt showed great talent in swimming from a young age. He set a national backstroke record when he was just ten. In high school, he set three Illinois state records. In 2003, his senior year, he helped Lake Forest win its first Illinois State Team Championship.

During high school, he trained with the Patriot Aquatics Swim Club. This club was at Stevenson High School in Illinois. His coach was Lea Maurer, an Olympic gold medalist from 1992.

College Swimming at Northwestern

Matt started swimming for Northwestern University in the fall of 2003. He was named Big 10 Freshman of the Year.

In 2005, he became the first Northwestern Wildcat swimmer since 1958 to win a national championship. He won the 100 backstroke at the NCAA championships, beating Ryan Lochte.

At Northwestern, Matt was a 27-time All-American. He was coached by Bob Groseth. He won three individual NCAA titles. In 2007, he won a fourth NCAA national championship with Northwestern's 400 medley relay team.

He won the NCAA 100 backstroke title again in 2006. Then, he won the 200 backstroke. He became only the third swimmer in NCAA history to swim under 1:40 in that event.

In 2006, he was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year. When he graduated, he held three Big Ten Conference records. He also held eleven Northwestern University records and ten Norris Aquatics Center pool records.

Olympic and World Championship Success

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Matt Grevers won two gold medals. He swam in the early races for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and 4×100-meter medley relay. The U.S. teams went on to win the finals.

Matt also won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke. He finished in 53.11 seconds, just behind Aaron Peirsol.

2009 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Matt was part of the U.S. men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. They won gold, beating Russia and France. He also earned a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay for swimming in the early races.

London 2012 Olympic Games

To qualify for the 2012 Olympics, Matt competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He finished first in the 100-meter backstroke. He also placed third in the 100-meter freestyle.

In the 100-meter backstroke final, Matt swam the fastest time ever in a textile suit: 52.08 seconds. This was the second-best time ever, just behind Aaron Peirsol's world record. His third-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle earned him a spot on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Matt won three medals: two golds and one silver. He earned his first medal, a silver, in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He swam in the early races for the U.S. team, which finished second in the final.

Matt then won his first individual gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke. He set a new Olympic record with a time of 52.16 seconds. This beat Aaron Peirsol's record from 2008.

In his last event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Matt won another gold medal. He teamed up with Brendan Hansen, Michael Phelps, and Nathan Adrian. Matt swam the backstroke part, and the U.S. team won with a time of 3:29.35.

2013 World Championships

Grevers in 2013

At the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Matt won two medals: one gold and one silver. He won the gold medal in the 100 m backstroke with a time of 52.93. He finished ahead of his teammate David Plummer.

Later, he shared a silver medal in the 50 m backstroke. He tied with France's Jérémy Stravius.

Matt did not make the 2016 Olympic Team. He finished third in the 100m backstroke at the trials.

2017 World Championships

At the 2017 U.S. National Championships, Matt won the 100-meter backstroke. He beat the 2016 Olympic champion, Ryan Murphy. This win qualified him for the 2017 World Championships in Budapest.

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, Matt placed second in the 100-meter backstroke. He finished behind Xu Jiayu of China. He also won gold medals by swimming in the U.S. 4x100-meter medley and mixed medley relays. The mixed medley relay set a new World and Championship record. He also earned a bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke.

Awards and Recognition

While at Northwestern University, Matt was named Big 10 Freshman of the Year. He was also Big Ten Swimmer of the Year in 2006.

In 2012, he was inducted into the Northwestern University Athletic Hall of Fame. In October 2022, he became a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

Matt's Personal Life

Matt Grevers was born in Lake Forest, Illinois. He graduated from Lake Forest High School in 2003. Then, he went to Northwestern University and swam for the Wildcats.

Both of Matt's parents are from the Netherlands. Matt thought about swimming for the Netherlands. He even talked about it with famous Dutch swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband. But in the end, he chose to represent the United States.

Matt proposed to his wife, Annie Chandler, on February 11, 2012. They got married on April 6, 2013, in San Antonio, Texas.

Matt and Annie welcomed their first child, a daughter named Skylar Lea Grevers, on November 9, 2016. In December 2019, they had their second daughter, Barbara Grace. Their youngest child is a son named Gideon.

Coaching and Continued Involvement

As of 2024, Annie Chandler Grevers and Matt were living in Tucson, Arizona. They have three young children.

Matt continued to train and attended the Olympic trials in 2024. He was an Assistant volunteer coach at the University of Arizona. He also became a partner and co-owner of the DeMont Family Swim School in 2022. He joined Rick DeMont, who had coached Matt for ten years. Rick DeMont and his wife Carrie started the school in 2009. Matt stays active in swimming. He attended the U.S. Olympic trials for all seven Olympics from 2000 to 2024.

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Grevers para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of Northwestern University alumni
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
• List of United States records in swimming
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay