Matt Wells
Matt is selected in the men's double for the 2009 World Championships in Poznan.
He raced in the men's double scull for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and won a bronze medal, the first British men's Olympic sculling medal since 1976. This was the culmination of an exceptional 3 years in the double with Stephen Rowbotham. In 2006 they won World Championship bronze, were 4th in 2007 and showed their class in Beijing in a very challenging field, missing silver by five hundreths of a second. In 2009 this successful partnership with Stephen Rowbotham continues.
Matt learnt to row in 1993 at Queen Elizabeth High School because he wanted to try other sports to complement his running. He won the single at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in 1996 and was selected in 1997 in a double scull for the British team at the World Junior Championships. With an awesome finishing surge the double blew away the much fancied Australians and took Britain's first junior gold medal for five years.
In 1998 Matt was injured and the following year he came down to London to study Sports Science at St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill and teamed up with his coach from the junior double scull, Darren Whiter. Matt was selected in the single for the World U23 Championships in 1999 and came home with a bronze medal.
In 2000 Matt had his eye on two things: winning gold at the World U23 Championships and gaining selection for the Olympic Games. He won the single at the GB Rowing Senior Trials for the second successive year and at the World U23 Championships in Copenhagen he won gold after dominating the field. He then gained selection for the Sydney Olympics in the single and finished in 9th place.
In 2003 Matt again won the GB Rowing Senior Trials and then finished 5th in the men’s double with Ian Lawson at the 2003 World Championships in Milan. As a result they secured an Olympic qualifying place, a major step forward for the men’s sculling squad.
The following year Matt gained Olympic selection in the double with Matthew Langridge. In Athens they missed a place in the final by the narrowest of margins but raced with credit to win the B Final.
In 2005 Matt was forced to miss the GB Rowing Senior Trials due to a back injury but raced in the men’s quad in the second World Cup of the season in Munich, finishing 4th, and then won a bronze with the quad in the final World Cup at Lucerne – the first world level medal ever won by a GB crew in the men’s quad, following this by 7th place at the World Championships.
Matt comes from a very sporty family. His father had football trials with Middlesbrough, his mother played county level netball and his younger brother Peter emulated Matt by winning the World U23 single scull title in 2002. Matt was an extremely accomplished runner before he took up rowing. He was County Champion at 800, 1500 and 3000 metres and winner of the regional league cross country title.
Matt is Lottery Funded through UK Sport.
