Matthew Mitcham facts for kids
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| Full name | Matthew John Mitcham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Matt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 March 1988 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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| Height | 174 centimetres (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Luke Rutherford (m. 2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 1 m, 3 m, 5 m, 7 m, 10 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Abbotsleigh Diving Club NSW, Perfect 10 diving | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former partner(s) | Scott Robertson (3 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Chava Sobrino | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Matthew John Mitcham (born 2 March 1988) is an Australian retired diver and trampolinist. He is famous for winning the Olympic gold medal in the 10-meter platform at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His final dive in that competition was one of the highest-scoring dives in Olympic history at the time. He was also the first Australian male to win an Olympic gold medal in diving since Dick Eve in 1924.
Contents
Matthew Mitcham's Career in Diving
Matthew Mitcham started his sports journey as a trampoline gymnast. A diving coach, Wang Tong Xiang, noticed his talent at a swimming center in Brisbane. Matthew then trained in both diving and trampolining for several years.
Early Achievements in Trampolining
As a trampolinist, Matthew represented Australia at the World Junior Championships. He competed in 1999 and 2001, winning the double mini-tramp event. He also took part in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2003.
Junior Diving Success
From 2002 to 2004, Matthew was a national junior champion in diving. He won every event he entered during this time. At the 2004 World Junior Championships, he earned silver medals. These were for the 1-meter, 3-meter synchronized, and 10-meter platform events. He continued to win many junior titles in Australia.
Senior Diving Competitions
In 2005, Matthew won his first senior national diving title. He competed at the World Aquatics Championships in Montreal. In 2006, he took part in several Grand Prix events and the Commonwealth Games. He placed well in these events, showing his growing skill. After a short break from the sport in 2006, he returned in 2007. He began training with coach Chava Sobrino. In 2008, Matthew won the 1-meter, 3-meter, and 10-meter individual events at the Australian Nationals. He also won the 2008 Diving Grand Prix event in Florida.
2008 Summer Olympics
Matthew Mitcham represented Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed in the 10-meter platform and 3-meter springboard events. He did not make the final in the 3-meter springboard.
Winning Gold in Beijing
In the 10-meter platform event, Matthew qualified for the final in second place. During the final, he had some good dives and some not-so-good ones. He was in second place before his last dive. The Chinese diver, Zhou Lüxin, was ahead of him. Zhou's last dive was not his best. This meant Matthew needed a very high score to win.
Matthew performed an amazing final dive. The judges gave him four perfect 10 scores! This dive earned him 112.10 points. It was the highest single-dive score in Olympic history at that time. He finished with a total score of 537.95 points. This allowed him to win the gold medal, beating Zhou Lüxin. His victory was special because it stopped China from winning all the diving gold medals at those Olympics. He was also the first Australian male to win an Olympic diving gold since 1924. After his win, Australia Post even issued a special 50-cent stamp of him!
Life After the Olympics
After his Olympic win, Matthew continued to compete. He also explored other interests, including writing and performing.
World and Commonwealth Games
At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Matthew placed fourth in the 10-meter platform. He was narrowly beaten by Zhou Lüxin and British diver Tom Daley. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Matthew won four silver medals. He won silver in the 1-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform. He also won two silver medals in synchronized diving events with his partner, Ethan Warren.
In 2011, Matthew recovered from an injury. He then won the Australian 10-meter platform title. He was also named Male Diver of the Year in 2012. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he placed 13th in the 10-meter event. He just missed out on qualifying for the final.
Autobiography and Cabaret Show
In 2012, Matthew published his autobiography called Twists and Turns. This book shared his life story. Later, he turned his autobiography into a fun cabaret show. The show premiered in 2014 and toured around Australia.
Television Appearances
In 2013, Matthew became a judge on the Australian diving TV show Celebrity Splash!. He also appeared on other TV shows. In 2015, he was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. He announced his retirement from diving in early 2016 to focus on his entertainment career.
Dancing with the Stars
Matthew Mitcham was a celebrity contestant on the fifteenth season of Dancing with the Stars. He and his dance partner, Masha Belash, finished in second place.
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Total score | Result | ||
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| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "Can You Feel It" — The Jacksons | 9 | 8 | 8 | 33 | Safe |
| 2 | Salsa | "Spice Up Your Life" — Spice Girls | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot | "The Girl from Ipanema" — Nat King Cole | 9 | 10 | 9 | 37 | Safe |
| 4 | Viennese waltz | "Can't Help Falling in Love" — Elvis Presley | 9 | 7 | 9 | 25 | Safe |
| 5 | Jive | "Don't Stop Me Now" — Queen | 8 | 7 | 9 | 24 | Safe |
| Foxtrot (Dance-off) |
"Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" — Dean Martin | Winner | 3 | ||||
| 6 | Paso doble | "Sweet Disposition" — The Temper Trap | 9 | 7 | 9 | 25 | Bottom two |
| Team dance | "Trouble" — Iggy Azalea, featuring Jennifer Hudson | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | ||
| 7 | Cha-cha-cha & Tango (Fusion dance) |
"Ghost Town" — Adam Lambert | 8 | 8 | 9 | 25 | Safe |
| Waltz | "Mr. Bojangles" — Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | 8 | 9 | 10 | 27 | ||
| 8 (Night 1) |
Samba | "Hip Hip Chin Chin" — Club des Belugas | 10 | 9 | 10 | 29 | Safe |
| Contemporary | "I'm Not the Only One" — Sam Smith | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | ||
| 8 (Night 2) |
Cha-cha-cha | "Can You Feel It" — The Jacksons | 9 | 10 | 10 | 29 | Runner-up |
| Freestyle | "Valerie" — Mark Ronson, featuring Amy Winehouse | 9 | 10 | 9 | 28 | ||
Sponsorships and Other Appearances
Even with his Olympic gold medal, Matthew Mitcham faced challenges getting sponsorships. In 2009, he received financial support from Telstra, an Australian telecommunications company. In 2010, he became the face of Funky Trunks, a swimwear brand.
Matthew has also appeared in various other events and shows. In 2010, he was part of the reality TV series Rexona Greatest Athlete Australia. He also promoted the Cologne 2010 Gay Games in Germany. He appeared on the Australian game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation and Celebrity Come Dine With Me Australia. In 2015, he starred in a tribute video to Freddie Mercury, which became very popular online.
Recognition and Personal Life
In 2020, Matthew Mitcham was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. This is a great honor for Australian athletes.
Matthew married his British partner, Luke Rutherford, in February 2020. As of October 2021, Matthew lives in London, England. He is friends with fellow diver Tom Daley.
Images for kids
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Matthew Mitcham in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Matthew Mitcham para niños
