Matthew Centrowitz Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matthew Centrowitz

Centrowitz wins the 1500 m at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1989-10-18) October 18, 1989 (age 35) Beltsville, Maryland
Height	5 ft 9 in
Weight	133 lb
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and Field
Event(s)	1500 meters
College team	Oregon Ducks
Turned pro	Nov. 2011
Achievements and titles
World finals	2011 Daegu 1500 m, 3 Bronze 2013 Moscow 1500 m, 2 Silver 2015 Beijing 1500 m, 8th 2017 London 1500 m, 37th (h) 2019 Doha 1500 m, 8th
Olympic finals	2012 London 1500 m, 4th 2016 Rio de Janeiro 1500 m, 1 Gold 2020 Tokyo 1500 m, 15th (sf)
Personal best(s)	Outdoor 800 m: 1:44.62 (New York 2015) 1500 m: 3:30.40 (Monaco 2015) Mile: 3:49.26 (Portland 2021) 5000 m: 13:00.39 (Beaverton 2019) Indoor 1000 m: 2:17.00i (Boston 2015) Mile: 3:50.63i (New York 2016) 3000 m: 7:40.74i (Portland 2016)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 1500 m World Championships Silver 2013 Moscow 1500 m Bronze 2011 Daegu 1500 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2016 Portland 1500 m Pan American Junior Championships Gold 2007 São Paulo 1500 m

Matthew Centrowitz Jr. (born October 18, 1989) is an American runner who is really good at middle-distance races, especially the 1500 metres. He won a gold medal in the 1500m race at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships. Later, he won a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships. Centrowitz has been a national champion five times in the 1500m at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

When he was in high school, Centrowitz won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships. He ran for the University of Oregon in college. There, he became the NCAA champion in the 1500m in 2011. The university recognized his achievements by putting him in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. Since 2011, Centrowitz has been a professional runner for Nike.

Early Life and Youth Sports Achievements

Matthew Centrowitz Jr. was born in Beltsville, Maryland. His dad, Matt Centrowitz, was also an Olympian and a track coach. Matthew's mom is from Guyana. His sister, Lauren Centrowitz, is also a great runner. She even qualified for the Olympic Trials in 2012. Matthew grew up in Arnold, Maryland.

Centrowitz was a track star at Broadneck High School in Annapolis. In 2007, he won the 2-mile race at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. His time was 8:41.55, which was the best high school time that year. He also set a record at the Penn Relays in April 2007 for the mile with a time of 4:08.38. That same year, he set a Maryland state record for the 1600 meters. He also won a gold medal at the Pan American Junior Championships in Brazil for the 1500m run.

College Running Career

Centrowitz ran for the University of Oregon from 2007 to 2011. During his time there, he was named an All-American seven times. In 2009, he helped his team break an NCAA record. His team ran the 4 x mile relay in 16:03.24, which was a new record. His teammates included Andrew Wheating, Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott, and Galen Rupp.

In 2011, Centrowitz won the 1500 meters at the Pac-10 championships. He also won the NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the 1500m. On November 29, 2011, Centrowitz decided to become a professional runner.

Professional Running Career

Winning Medals: 2011-2012

Centrowitz after winning bronze in the 1500 m at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

In 2011, Centrowitz joined the Nike Oregon Project. He was coached by Alberto Salazar. Centrowitz won the 1500m at the 2011 USATF Outdoor Championships. He beat other famous runners like Bernard Lagat and Leo Manzano. He then won a bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2011 IAAF World Championships.

In 2012, Centrowitz competed in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Turkey. He finished seventh in the 1500m final. On July 1, 2012, he made the United States Olympic team for the 1500m. At the 2012 London Olympic Games, he finished fourth in the 1500m race. He just missed a bronze medal by a tiny amount of time. Later that year, he won the Fifth Avenue Mile race.

Silver Medal and Personal Bests: 2013-2015

Centrowitz (right) and Nick Willis (left) in the final stretch of the Wanamaker Mile in 2015.

In 2013, Centrowitz started his indoor season by winning the 800m race. He came in second at the Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile. He also won the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix mile. He then won the USATF Outdoor 1500m championship for the second time. This win qualified him for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow. There, he won a silver medal in the 1500m.

In 2014, Centrowitz improved his personal best times. At a Diamond League meet in Monaco, he ran the 1500 meters in 3:31.09. This was almost a full second faster than his previous best. It was also the seventh fastest time in United States history at that point.

Olympic Gold Medal: 2016

Centrowitz (third from right) in a semi-final of the 1500 m at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On February 20, 2016, Centrowitz won the Millrose Games men's indoor mile. His time was 3:50.63. On March 20, 2016, he won the 1500 meters at the World Indoor Championships. This meant he had an unbeaten indoor season.

Centrowitz attended a Baltimore Orioles baseball game after winning a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

On August 20, 2016, Centrowitz competed at the 2016 Olympic Games. He won the 1500 meters race with a time of 3:50.00. He became the first American to win this event since 1908. The race was slow at the beginning, which is called a "tactical" race.

Recent Years: 2017-Present

In January 2019, Centrowitz joined the Bowerman Track Club. He was coached by Jerry Schumacher. In 2021, Centrowitz qualified for his third Olympics in the 1500m. Before the Olympics, he ran a special mile race to get ready. He set a new personal best time of 3:49.26.

Centrowitz competed in the 1500m at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. He ran well in the first race. However, in the semifinals, he finished ninth. This meant he did not qualify for the finals. He could not defend his Olympic title.

In 2021, Centrowitz was added to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. In May 2022, he had surgery for an ACL injury. Because of this injury, he missed the USA championships. Before this, he had made every outdoor World Athletics Championships and Olympic team from 2011 to 2021. In late 2022, he said he had left the Bowerman Track Club. He decided to coach himself.

Centrowitz finished tenth in the 1500m final at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In March 2024, Centrowitz announced that he would retire after the 2024 outdoor season. On June 21, 2024, he announced he was pulling out of the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials because of an injury.

Personal Life

Centrowitz married Lyndsay Centrowitz on October 3, 2023. Their first child, Luka, was born on November 10, 2024.

Achievements

All information from World Athletics profile.

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing the United States
2007	Pan American Junior Championships	São Paulo, Brazil	1st	1500 m	3:56.63
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	3rd	1500 m	3:36.08
2012	World Indoor Championships	Istanbul, Turkey	7th	1500 m	3:47.42
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	4th	1500 m	3:35.17
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	2nd	1500 m	3:36.78
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	8th	1500 m	3:36.13
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, United States	1st	1500 m	3:44.22
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	1st	1500 m	3:50.00
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	37th (h)	1500 m	3:48.34
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	8th	1500 m	3:32.81
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	10th (sf)	1500 m	3:33.69

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Centrowitz para niños