Matthew Mitcham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matthew Mitcham
OAM

Personal information
Full name	Matthew John Mitcham
Nickname(s)	Matt
Born	(1988-03-02) 2 March 1988 (age 37) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height	174 centimetres (5 ft 9 in)
Spouse(s)	Luke Rutherford ​ ​ (m. 2020; div. 2024)​
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
Medal record Representing  Australia Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 10m platform World Championships Bronze 2009 Rome 1m springboard Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow Synchro 10m platform Silver 2010 Delhi 1m springboard Silver 2010 Delhi Synchro 3m springboard Silver 2010 Delhi 10m platform Silver 2010 Delhi Synchro 10m platform Silver 2014 Glasgow 1m springboard Silver 2014 Glasgow Synchro 3m springboard

Matthew John Mitcham OAM (born 2 March 1988) is an Australian retired diver and trampolinist. He is famous for being the 2008 Olympic champion in the 10m platform event. His winning dive had one of the highest scores in Olympic history at that time. He was also the first Australian male to win an Olympic gold medal in diving since Dick Eve in 1924.

Early Career and Training

Matthew Mitcham started his sports journey as a trampoline gymnast. A coach from the Australian Institute of Sport Diving Program, Wang Tong Xiang, noticed him at the Chandler Aquatic Centre in Brisbane. For several years, Matthew continued to train in both diving and trampolining.

As a trampolinist, Matthew represented Australia at the World Junior Championships in 1999 and 2001. He even won the double mini-tramp event. He also took part in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2003, where he finished sixth.

From 2002 to 2004, Matthew was a national junior champion in diving, winning many events. He competed at the 2002 World Junior Diving Championships. In 2004, he earned silver medals in three events at the World Junior Championships. He also won several titles at the 2004 Junior Nationals. In 2005, Matthew won his first senior national diving title. He also won several medals at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival.

In 2006, Matthew competed in international diving events like the German Grand Prix and the US Grand Prix. He also won a bronze medal at the Canada Cup. He represented Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, competing in various diving events. After a short break from the sport in 2006, he returned in 2007. He began training with coach Chava Sobrino at the New South Wales Institute of Sport. In 2008, Matthew won the 1m, 3m, and 10m individual events at the Australian Nationals. He also won the 2008 Diving Grand Prix event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Olympic Gold Medal Win

Matthew Mitcham at the 2009 Mardi Gras, Sydney

Matthew Mitcham represented Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed in the 10m platform and the 3m springboard events. He did not make it to the final in the 3m springboard.

However, in the 10m platform event, he performed incredibly well. He was in second place before his final dive, behind Chinese diver Zhou Lüxin. Matthew needed a very high score to win. His last dive was almost perfect, earning four perfect 10 scores from the judges. This dive scored 112.10 points, which was the highest single-dive score in Olympic history at that time. He won the gold medal with a total score of 537.95, beating Zhou. His victory stopped China from winning all the diving gold medals at those Olympics.

Matthew was very excited about his win. He said, "It's absolutely surreal. I never thought that this would be possible... I can't believe it, I'm so happy." After his amazing win, Australia Post even released a 50-cent stamp featuring him.

Later Career and Achievements

After his Olympic victory, Matthew continued to compete. At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, he placed fourth in the 10-metre platform event.

At the Aquatics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Matthew won four silver medals. He partnered with fellow Australian diver Ethan Warren in the synchronized events. He also won silver in the 1-metre springboard and his main event, the 10-metre platform.

In December 2011, Matthew recovered from an injury and won the Australian 10-metre platform title. This helped him prepare for the Olympics again. He was also named Male Diver of the Year in 2012. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he placed 13th in the 10m event semifinals, just missing out on the final.

In November 2012, Matthew published his autobiography called Twists and Turns.

Beyond Diving

Matthew Mitcham has also explored a career in entertainment. In 2013, he was an MC (Master of Ceremonies) at the Melbourne Cabaret Festival. He later turned his autobiography into a cabaret show. This show premiered in 2014 at the Fringe World festival in Perth and has toured Australia. It was also part of the 2015 Sydney Mardi Gras festival.

In 2013, Matthew became a judge on the Australian diving TV show Celebrity Splash!. He judged alongside famous divers like Greg Louganis.

Matthew announced his retirement from diving at the start of 2016 to focus more on his showbiz career.

Dancing with the Stars

Matthew Mitcham was a contestant on the fifteenth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2015. He and his dance partner Masha Belash performed well throughout the season. They finished in second place in the competition.

Sponsorships and Public Appearances

Despite his Olympic gold medal, Matthew Mitcham faced challenges in getting big company sponsorships at first. In 2009, he received financial support from Telstra, an Australian telecommunications company.

In March 2010, Matthew became the new face of Funky Trunks, a swimwear brand. He appeared in their advertising campaigns around the world. He also became a spokesman and "swimwear ambassador" for the brand.

Matthew has made many other public appearances. In 2009, he was the Chief of Parade for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. He was also named the 2008 Australian Sports Performer of the Year. In 2010, he appeared in the reality TV series Rexona Greatest Athlete Australia. In this show, eight popular Australian athletes competed in various challenges. He also promoted the 2010 Gay Games in Germany. Matthew appeared on the Australian game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation and Celebrity Come Dine With Me Australia. In March 2015, he starred in 'Are You Ready For Freddie', a tribute video to Freddie Mercury. This video 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 Mitcham was born on March 2, 1988. He married Luke Rutherford in February 2020. They divorced in 2024. As of October 2021, Matthew lives in London, England. He is friends with fellow diver Tom Daley.

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Mitcham para niños