Matthew Boling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matthew Boling

Matthew Boling (right) competing in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships
Personal information
Born	(2000-06-20) June 20, 2000 (age 24) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprints Long jump Relays
College team	Georgia Bulldogs
Coached by	Caryl Smith Gilbert
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Outdoor 100 m: 9.98 (2022) 200 m: 19.92 (2022) 400 m: 44.84 (2024) Long jump: 8.02 m (26 ft 3.62303150 in) (2021) Indoor 60 m: 6.56 (2022) 200 m: 20.12 (2023) 400 m: 45.51 (2021) Long jump: 8.25 m (27 ft 0.67814961 in) (2022)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States World Championships Gold 2023 Budapest 4×400 m relay Gold 2023 Budapest 4×400 m mixed World Athletics Relays Gold 2024 Nassau 4×400 m relay World U20 Championships Silver 2018 Tampere 4×400 m relay Pan American U20 Championships Gold 2019 San José 100 m Gold 2019 San José 200 m Gold 2019 San José 4×100 m relay Gold 2019 San José 4×400 m relay
Updated on August 19, 2023; 21 months ago (August 19, 2023).

Matthew Boling (born June 20, 2000) is an American track and field athlete. He is known for his amazing speed in sprint races and his skills in the long jump.

In 2019, Matthew won four gold medals at the Pan American U20 Championships. He won the 100-meter and 200-meter races. He also helped his team set new world records for athletes under 20 in both the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay races. He also earned a silver medal with the 4x400-meter relay team at the 2018 World U20 Championships. More recently, Matthew won a gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in the mixed 4x400-meter relay, helping to set a new world record for that event.

Matthew became very famous in 2019 during his high school track career. In March, he made the longest long jump by a high school athlete in ten years, jumping 8.01 meters (26 feet, 3.5 inches). Then, in April, he ran the 100-meter dash in 9.98 seconds. This was a record for high school athletes, even though it had a little help from the wind. He finished his high school career by running a super fast 44.74-second part of the 4x400-meter relay. He helped his team, the Strake Jesuit Crusaders, win from behind!

Early Life and High School Success

Matthew Boling was born on June 20, 2000, in Houston, Texas. He has a twin brother named Michael. Matthew started running track at River Oaks Baptist School. Later, he and his brother went to Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. Matthew first competed in the high jump. Then, he started focusing on the long jump and the 400-meter race.

At the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships, Matthew ran the first part of the USA's 4x400-meter relay team. This team later won a silver medal. In November of that year, he decided to go to the University of Georgia for college.

Becoming "White Lightning"

In 2019, Matthew became very popular online. He ran the 100-meter dash in an amazing 9.98 seconds. This was a new high school record, even with some wind helping him. Because of his speed, people started calling him "White Lightning." Matthew, however, said he didn't like his race being mentioned.

He also made a huge long jump of 8.01 meters (26 feet, 3 inches) at the Texas Relays. This was the longest jump by a high school athlete in ten years! Matthew won both the 100-meter dash and the long jump at the Texas state championships. He set a new U.S. high school record in the 100-meter race with a time of 10.13 seconds. He also helped his high school team finish third in the 4x100-meter relay.

Matthew went viral again in the 4x400-meter relay. He ran his part of the race in just 44.74 seconds. He helped his team come from way behind to win!

After winning the 100-meter and 200-meter races at the USA U20 Championships, Matthew won both events again at the 2019 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in San José, Costa Rica. He set his personal best times in both races. His 100-meter time of 10.11 seconds was also a championship record. He then helped the USA's 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams set new World U20 records. For all his amazing achievements, Matthew won the National Boys Track & Field Player of the Year award. He was also named the 2019 High School Boys Athlete Of The Year by Track & Field News.

College Career at Georgia

2020 Season

Matthew's first year at the University of Georgia was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the indoor season, he tried the 60-meter, 200-meter, long jump, and 4x400-meter relay events. At the SEC Indoor Championships, he finished second in the 200-meter race.

Boling stands before entering the starting blocks.

Boling (center) sprinting

Boling representing the Georgia Bulldogs at the Arkansas Invite in 2020.

2021 Season

When track events started again, Matthew focused on the 200-meter race for the indoor season. At the SEC Championships, he was disqualified in the final for stepping out of his lane. However, his earlier fast time helped him qualify for his first NCAA Indoor Championships. There, he won the 200-meter indoor national title! Matthew ran a time of 20.19 seconds, which was one of the fastest times ever.

In the outdoor season, Matthew competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter races. At the SEC Outdoor Championships, he finished second in the 100-meter and third in the 200-meter race. His 200-meter time of 20.06 seconds was his personal best. Matthew also ran the last part of Georgia's 4x100-meter relay team, helping them finish second. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, he placed sixth in the 100-meter and fifth in the 200-meter.

After his college season, Matthew stayed in Eugene, Oregon, for the U.S. Olympic Trials. He finished 14th in the 100-meter semifinals and ninth in the 200-meter semifinals. This ended his first full college season and his first try at the Olympics.

2022 Season

At the 2022 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Matthew placed fourth in the 100-meter race and won the 200-meter race with a time of 20.01 seconds. At the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he finished sixth in the 100-meter and second in the 200-meter.

2023 Season

Matthew ran the third part of the mixed 4x400-meter relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. His team set a new world record of 3:08.80 and won the gold medal! In September, he decided to become a professional athlete, leaving his college eligibility behind. He said he wanted to compete on the world stage because the feeling at world championships is "different."

Professional Career

2024 Season

At the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Matthew was part of the U.S. team for the 4x400-meter relay, where they won a silver medal.

Later, at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Qualifying Trials, Matthew made it to the finals in the 400-meter race, finishing eighth. In the 200-meter race, he was ninth fastest and did not qualify for the finals. To make the Olympics automatically, he needed to finish in the top three. He was not chosen for a relay team either.

Statistics

• Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Personal Records

International Medals

Representing the  United States

Year	Competition	Medal	Event	Notes
2018	World U20 Championships	Silver	4×400 m relay
2019	Pan American U20 Championships	Gold	100 m	PB
		Gold	200 m	WU20L, PB
		Gold	4×100 m relay	WU20R
		Gold	4×400 m relay	WU20R
2023	World Athletics Championships	Gold	4×400 m relay
		Gold	Mixed 4x 400m Relay	WR
2024	World Indoor Championships	Silver	4x400m relay

National Championships Highlights

Track Records

As of September 2024, Matthew Boling holds these track records:

100 metres

200 metres