Matt Richards Claims Four Golds, A Silver, And A Welsh Record In One Week In Scotland

By James Candy

Matt Richards closed out the 2022 short course season in record-breaking style as his stunning form continued at the Scottish National Short Course Championships.

The 19-year-old claimed a haul of four gold medals, a silver and a Welsh record to boot on another impressive weekend at Glasgow’s Royal Commonwealth Pool.

On day one, the Olympic gold medallist triumphed in the 100m freestyle a week on from his British record performance in Sheffield.

The Millfield athlete produced a time of 46.75 to top the podium, going 22.31 on the way out and 24.44 on the way home to earn the only sub-47 second time of the field.

More success followed on Sunday as Richards claimed a hat-trick of victories and a 100 fly Welsh record.

First, he punched a time of 1:41.70 to top the men’s 200m free podium, beating runner-up Jack McMillan of Ireland to the wall, just two tenths of a second off the season’s best he posted the week before.

Next for Richards was the men’s 100m fly where the teen put up a winning effort of 50.86 to clinch gold and set a new Welsh all-time standard.

 

What a great Short Course season 2022! HUGE shoutout to Ryan & all the team @MillfieldSwim @MillfieldSenior @M4ttRichards British Record for 100 Free (No.4 in world this season), plus Welsh Records for 50 Free, 200 Free (No.3 in world this season) & 100 Fly 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

On to LC!! 💪🏼

— Simon Richards (@S1monRichards) December 11, 2022

After breaking the nine-year-old record in the heats with a time of 51.29, he shaved another four tenths of a second off that time to become the first Welshman to go sub-51 in the event.

He earned more fly success in the 50m event, where he earned silver with a time of 23.15.

Finally, Richards concluded his Scottish Championships performances with a victory in the 50m free, posting 21.53.

He currently ranks ninth in the world with the 21.11 he registered at the Swim England Winter Championships.

There was also distance success for Kieran Bird, who claimed a silver medal in the 800m freestyle in a time of 7:37.95 – just a second and a half outside the Welsh record set by David Davies back in 2009.

He also clinched third in the 200m A Final in a time of 1:44.55.

The Swim Wales Winter Championships round off the domestic short course season this weekend.