Wales’ Olympic Champion Matt Richards Eyeing World Championship Glory After Bouncing Back in Singapore

Matt Richards has vowed to “get after it” in Thursday’s 100m freestyle final at the World Championships in Singapore.

The Wales Commonwealth Games star produced one of the best performances of his career to make the final – just 24 hours after one of his most disappointing.

Richards suffered the heartbreak of missing out on a place in the 200m final, his favorite distance in which we won an Olympic silver medal in Paris a year ago.

The 22-year-old, who represents Great Britain internationally but proudly competes for Wales at the Commonwealth Games through his Welsh father, posted a time of 47.59 seconds in the second semi-final – the joint third-fastest of his career – to finish fifth in his race and qualify sixth overall for the final.

That semi-final was blistering in pace, with American Jack Alexy clocking 46.81 and Romania’s David Popovici close behind at 46.84. 

For Richards, it was a vital mental re-set after a tough outing in his main event, the 200m freestyle, in which he failed to reach the final just one year after taking Olympic silver and two years after claiming the world title in Fukuoka.

Despite the pressure, Richards showed his trademark composure and character.

“Fast! I think 47.5 might be my third-fastest 100 free of all time so it’s a really great place for me to be in but it felt like I was going a 48.5, the guys were moving so quick around me,” he said, beaming with both relief and excitement.

READ MORE: Matt Richards Admits British Title Win Was As Tough As Any

“I don’t know off the top of my head but that’s got to be one of the most stacked semi-finals in world champs history.

“So, fantastic to be a part of that, I’m really pleased to have been in the mix – not necessarily winning it tonight but being in the fight and being sixth going into tomorrow.

“It’s a good place to be: it’s just nice to know we turned that round after the 200 and have been able to put in a good performance tonight.”

Richards had been among the favourites for the 200m title in Singapore but finished a disappointing 12th in the heats.
In his absence, Popovici went on to claim the crown, adding it to his Olympic title, with Paris bronze medallist Luke Hobson also on the podium.

It was a bitter pill for Richards to swallow, but one that is not unfamiliar to elite swimmers. 

Even Olympic champions can find themselves watching from the sidelines when the margins are this tight.

Richards isn’t alone in feeling the sting of inconsistency in Singapore, either.

Chinese superstar Pan Zhanle, who stunned the world with a record-breaking 46.40 to win the Olympic 100m title in Paris, failed to reach the final after placing 10th in the semis – just 0.17 seconds off the cut.

“That’s all part and parcel of the sport,” Richards added when asked the volatility of top-level racing.

“Literally in a matter of 24 hours things can change. Tonight, was unbelievably fast in there as we know but who knows what’ll happen tomorrow night? 

“It could be that all of us go slower, it could be that everyone goes faster.

“That’s the beauty of the sport: if we all knew what results we’d get every time we race, it’d be quite boring. 

“So as much as it’s disappointing when results don’t go the way you’d like them to, it’s all part of the journey and part of the learning, and part of what makes the sport so exciting.”

Alexy’s time of 46.81 was the fourth-fastest in history, while Popovici's swim marked the second time in a month he dipped under 47 seconds, having set a European record of 46.71 in June.

Though Richards has won Olympic and World titles in the 4x200m freestyle relay, and was European junior champion over 100m back in 2019, he has yet to reach the podium in a senior individual 100m freestyle event. 

His fifth-place finish in Fukuoka last year left him just 0.03 seconds off the medals.

Now, he’s looking to take the final step in one of the most competitive fields the sport has ever seen.

“Two guys going in there on 46s and then a host of guys going 47 lows and 47 mids, myself being one of the 47 mids,” he said. 

“On paper I’m a little bit behind the pack right now but from my perspective I’ll always go into a race with the same attitude that I’m going in to try and win.

“I’ve just got to go out there tomorrow and get myself into the mental space to get after it, put myself in a position where that’s possible and then see what happens and like I say, the result – who knows? That’s part of the fun.”