Diving Australia

Diving Australia

Matthew Mitcham

 
 
 
Nickname:  Matt or M'n'M
DOB:  2nd March 1988
Born:  Brisbane QLD
Lives:  Sydney NSW
HGT:  173cm
Wgt:  67kg
Institute:  NSWIS
Trains:  Sydney Olympic Pool
Coach:  Chava Sobrino

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Won Gold in 10m Platform at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
  • Broke through for his first ever international gold medal in the 10m platform at the FINA Diving Grand Prix, Fort Lauderdale after becoming the first diver in 14 years to win 1m, 3m, 10m treble at 2008 Australian Championships Adelaide
  • Placed fourth in 3m & 3m synchro (Robertson) and fifth in 1m & 10m at 2006 Commonwealth Games.
  • Won gold in 3m, 3m synchro (Robertson) & 10m, silver in 1m at 2005 Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
  • Won silver in 1m, 3m synchro (Robertson) and 10m at 2004 World Junior Championships
  • Qualified for his first Olympic team 

IN 2008

  • Won Gold in 10m Platform at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
  • Finished 2nd 10m platform at the FINA Grand Prix in Rostock, Germany (June).
  • Won gold 10m platform and came 5th 3m springboard at the FINA Grand Prix Fort Lauderdale (May)
  • Came 4th 3m springboard and 5th 10m platform at the FINA Grand Prix Montreal, Canada (May).
  • Claimed gold 10m platform bronze 3m and 10m  FINA Grand Prix Shenzhen, China (March).
  • Fifth, 10m platform FINA World Cup, Beijing (Feb).
  • 1st in 1m, 3m and10m, Australian Champs. Adelaide (Jan)…1st 10m, 1st 3m Olympic Trials, Hobart  

IN 2007
Took a year off competition 

IN 2006 
Placed fourth in 3m & 3m synchro (Robertson) and fifth in 1m & 10m at Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Won bronze in 3m synchro (Robertson) at Ft Lauderdale leg of FINA Grand Prix series.
Was fourth in 3m synchro (Robertson) at Sydney & Zhuhai legs of FINA Grand Prix series.
Won silver in 3m & 3m synchro (Robertson), was third in 10m at Australian Open Championships in Melbourne 

IN 2005
Won gold in 3m, 3m synchro (Robertson) & 10m, silver in 1m at Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney.
Won 1m, was second in 3m, 3m synchro (Kimlin), 10m synchro (Kimlin) and third in 10m at Australian Open Championships on the Gold Coast 

IN 2004
Won silver in 3m synchro (Kimlin), 10m synchro (Kimlin),  finished third in 10m and fourth in 1m & 3m at Australian Open Championships in Hobart.
Won silver in 1m, 3m synchro (Robertson) and 10m at World Junior Championships in Belem 

OUT OF THE POOL
FAMILY MEMBERS:

Mother , brother

WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU:
Winning Olympic Gold
ROLE MODELS:
Greg Louganis and Ian Thorpe 
PERSONALSTUDIES/OCCUPATION: 
Administrative Assistant- Orion Expedition Cruises
SPORTS BEFORE DIVING/AUSTRALIAN TEAMS/MAJOR RESULTS:
Gold- World Junior Trampoline Championships 2001
INTERESTING FACTS PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU:
I completed high school in French and studied Mandarin at University
SUPERSTITIONS:
I'm superstitious about having any superstitions. I do my best to quash any that start creeping up on me.
ULTIMATE RELAXATION:

Hand, head and face massages
SPECIALTY IN THE KITCHEN:
Lean Cuisine
ONE THING YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:
Water
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO AWAY FROM DIVING:
Eating and sleeping… those are the only other things I do at the moment! 

MY FAVOURITE -
SPORTING TEAM:

French Rugby Team
MOVIES:
The Cutting Edge, La Vie En Rose
TV SHOW:
Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, Drawn Together, Boston Legal
BANDS/MUSIC:
Kate Miller-Heidke, Presets, M People, Dresden Dolls, Amy Winehouse, Sneaky, Operator, Black Box
FOOD:
Lamb, brie/camembert, eggplant (weird huh?)
DRINK:
Coffee
DIVING MEET:
Fort Lauderdale (Florida), Rostock (Germany)

HOBBIES:
When I'm not diving, I'm eating or sleeping. But on the way to and from diving I love listening to my music.
PETS:
A moodle called Louis
BEST MATES:
Alexis Paszek, Alexandra Croak, many others
LAST BOOK READ:
Greg Louganis' autobiography
WHAT'S YOUR GREATEST ASSET?
Being a good speeler
HAVE ANY OF YOUR FAMILY REPRESENTED AUSTRALIA OR PLAYED SPORT AT A NATIONAL LEVEL?
Not that I'm aware.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS?
A bit different.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?
Positively. Maybe as an Olympic gold medallist
DIVING SHORT TERM GOALS:
Olympic Gold
DIVING CAREER ULTIMATE GOAL:
Multiple Olympic Golds! (no pressure)
PERSONAL AMBITIONS:
To be remembered… positively.
HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED ANY OBSTACLES DURING YOUR DIVING CAREER?
Lumber spine fracture. Retiring for a year (separate events)
WHAT AGE DID YOU START DIVING AND WHY?
At age 11- coach saw me playing on boards during public time (I was doing trampoline at the time)
FAVOURITE DIVER AND WHY?
I liked Mathew Helm's diving around the Athens Olympics. He has the best lines/form in the world.
FAVOURITE ATHLETE AND WHY?
Before reading his autobiography I wouldn't have said Greg Louganis, but it's hard not to become completely awestruck by the heights he achieved and develop a respect for him knowing what he went through whilst achieving those goals.
NOTABLE QUOTE:

My inner child: "Food goes in here"- Homer Simpson

AUSTRALIAN TEAM REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS
EVENT LOCATION YEAR RESULTS
Olympic Games Beijing, China 2008 1st 10m; 16th 3m
World Championships Montreal,  Canada 2005 12th 10m
Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia 2006 4th 3m, 3m synchro (Robertson); 5th 1m, 10m
FINA World Cup Beijing, China 2008 5th 10m
  Changshu, China 2006 5th 10m; 6th 1m; 7th 3m
FINA World Series Doha, Qatar 2009 2nd 10m, 6th 3m
  Changzhou, China 2009 4th 3m, 6th 10m
  Sheffield, Great Britain 2009 4th 10m, 9th 3m
  Mexico City, Mexico 2009 4th 3m, 6th 10m
FINA Grand Prix Madrid, Spain 2009 2nd 10m, 5th 3m synchro (Warren)
  Rostock, Germany 2008 2nd 10m
  Fort Lauderdale, USA 2008 1st 10m; 5th 3m
  Montreal, Canada 2008 4th 3m; 5th 10m
  Shenzhen, China 2008 3rd 3m; 3rd 10m
  Rome, Italy 2006 11th 3m synchro (Robertson)
  Fort Lauderdale, USA 2006 3rd 3m synchro (Robertson); 23rd 3m
  Zhuhai, China 2006 4th 3m synchro (Robertson); 20th 3m
  Sydney, Australia 2006 4th 3m synchro (Robertson)
  Montreal, Canada 2005 3rd 10m
  Zhuhai, China 2005 3rd 3m
FINA World Junior Championships Belem, Brazil 2004 2nd 1m, 10m, 3m synchro (Robertson)
Australian Youth Olympic Festival Sydney, Australia 2005 1st 3m, 3m synchro (Robertson), 10m; 2nd 1m

 

 
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