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Matthew Boling

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Matthew Boling (born June 20, 2000) is an American track and field athlete specializing in the sprints and long jump. He won four gold medals at the 2019 Pan American U20 Championships in the 100 m, 200 m, 4 × 100 m relay and 4 × 400 m relay, and helped set world under-20 records in both of the relay races for the United States. He also ran in the semi-final for the American 4 × 400 m relay team at the 2018 World U20 Championships that went on to earn silver in the final. Boling would later go on to win a gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in the mixed 4 x 400 m relay, and would help set a world record for the event in the process.

Matthew Boling
Matthew Boling (right) competing in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships
Personal information
Born (2000-06-20) June 20, 2000 (age 24)[1]
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[2]
Sport
SportTrack and field
Events
College teamGeorgia Bulldogs[3]
Coached byCaryl Smith Gilbert [4]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • Outdoor
  • 100 m: 9.98 (2022)
  • 200 m: 19.92 (2022)
  • 400 m: 44.84 (2024)
  • Long jump: 8.02 m (26 ft 3+1⁄2 in) (2021)
  • Indoor
  • 60 m: 6.56 (2022)
  • 200 m: 20.12 (2023)
  • 400 m: 45.51 (2021)
  • Long jump: 8.25 m (27 ft 3⁄4 in) (2022)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Budapest 4×400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2023 Budapest 4×400 m mixed
World Athletics Relays
Gold medal – first place 2024 Nassau 4×400 m relay
World U20 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tampere 4×400 m relay
Pan American U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 San José 100 m
Gold medal – first place 2019 San José 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2019 San José 4×100 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2019 San José 4×400 m relay
Updated on August 19, 2023; 15 months ago (August 19, 2023)

Boling gained national attention during the spring of 2019 for his accomplishments in high school track and field. In March, he leaped the farthest in the long jump for a high school athlete in ten years with a 26' 3.5" (8.01 m) mark at the Texas Relays,[5] and then bested the high school all-conditions 100 m record, breaking the 10-second barrier with a wind-assisted 9.98 seconds run on April 27, 2019. Boling finished his high school track career in May at the Texas state championships by running a 44.74 second anchor in the 4 × 400 m relay for the Strake Jesuit Crusaders, coming from behind to win in the fastest time for a high school team in the nation that year (3:10.56).[6][7]

Early life

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Matthew Boling was born to Mark and Monique Boling on June 20, 2000, with a twin brother, Michael.[8] They grew up in Houston, Texas, and attended River Oaks Baptist School, where Matthew began running track.[9] The two then began attending Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. Initially, Matthew competed in the high jump,[10] then began focusing on the long jump and the 400m.[11] At the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships, Boling ran the opening leg for the USA's 4 × 400 m relay team, which went on to get the silver medal in the final. In November that year, he committed to the University of Georgia.

Breakthrough

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Boling went viral in 2019 when he broke the 10-second barrier with a wind-aided (+4.2 m/s) time of 9.98 seconds on April 27, 2019, setting the high school all-conditions record in the 100 m. He subsequently took on the nickname White Lightning, which was a reference to his race and to his speed, although Boling himself publicly stated he disliked attention being called to his race.[12][13] He also long jumped 26 ft, 3in (8.01m) at the Texas Relays, the furthest jump for a high school athlete in 10 years. He won both events at the Texas UIL 6A State Championships, setting the wind-legal US high school record of 10.13 seconds in the 100m,[14] and anchored Strake Jesuit to 3rd in the 4 × 100 m. He went viral once again in the 4 × 400 m when he split 44.74 seconds on his anchor leg to bring Strake Jesuit a win from over 20m behind.

After winning the 100m and 200m at the USA U20 Championships, Boling turned the double at the 2019 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in San José, Costa Rica. Both times (10.11 and 20.31, respectively) were personal bests, and his 100m time of 10.11 was also a championship record. He then ran the 4th and 2nd legs for the USA's 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m teams, respectively, both setting World U20 records. For his performances, Gatorade awarded Boling its National Boys Track & Field Player of the Year honors for 2018–19,[15] and he was named the 2019 High School Boys Athlete Of The Year by Track & Field News.[16]

Collegiate career

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2020

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Before his first season at Georgia was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Boling attempted the 60m, 200m, Long Jump and the 4 × 400 m indoors.[17] At the SEC Indoor Championships, Boling finished second overall in the 200m with 20.71 seconds, losing to Terrance Laird of LSU from the first section.[18]

 
Boling stands before entering the starting blocks.
 
Boling (center) sprinting
Boling representing the Georgia Bulldogs at the Arkansas Invite in 2020.

2021

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Returning to track, Boling again tried each event and chose to focus on the 200m for the indoor season. At the SEC Championships, he was disqualified in the final for stepping out of his lane on the final turn, and Laird took the title. However, because he ranked high enough by running 20.37 in his preliminary, he qualified for his first NCAA Indoor Championships, where he would win the 200m indoor NCAA national title. Boling clocked a 20.19,[19] the joint-sixth fastest time in history.

Laird and Boling's rivalry was set to grow in the outdoor season with the addition of the 100m and 4 × 100 m. At the SEC Outdoor Championships, Laird won the 100m/200m double, while Boling finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. His time of 20.06 seconds was a personal best in the 200m. Boling ran the anchor for Georgia's 4 × 100 m, with a slight lead but was caught by Laird and finished 2nd. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Boling finished 6th and 5th in the 100m and 200m, respectively. Boling was considered a Freshman in 2021 by many, due to COVID-19 causing a short season his Freshman year.[citation needed]

Boling stayed in Eugene for the US Olympic Trials, where he finished 14th overall in the 100m semis and 9th overall in the 200m semis, bringing his first complete College season and first Olympic tryout to an end.[citation needed]

2022

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At the 2022 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Boling placed 4th in the 100m in a time of 10.13 and won the 200m with the time of 20.01. At the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Boling placed 6th in the 100m with a time of 10.18 and finished 2nd in the 200m in a time of 20.13.

2023

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Boling ran the third leg of the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.[20] His team set a world record of 3:08.80 and finished first. In September, he decided to forgo his remaining year of eligibility in the NCAA to turn professional.[21] In an interview, he reflected on his decision, citing his desire to compete on the world stage: "The atmosphere around a world championship and global meets is different. I felt so in the zone."[22]

Professional career

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2024

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At the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Boling was a member of the US team for the 4x400m relay, earning a silver medal.

In the 2024 US Olympic Qualifying Trials Boling made the finals in the 400m, finishing in 8th place.[23] In the 200m, he did not qualify for the finals, ultimately recording the 9th fastest time.[24] Needing a top 3 event finish, Boling failed to automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympics and was not selected for a relay team.

Statistics

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Personal records

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Event Time / Mark Wind (m/s) Venue Date Notes
60 m 6.56 — College Station, Texas, U.S. February 25, 2022 Indoor 60 m
100 m 9.98 +1.6 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. April 16, 2022
9.97 w +3.2 College Station, Texas, U.S. May 15, 2021 Wind-assisted
200 m 19.92 -0.9 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. April 23, 2022
Indoor 200 m 20.12 — , Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. March 11, 2023 #6 all-time, NCAA Division I champion
400 m 44.84 — Gainesville, Florida, U.S. July 19, 2024
Indoor 400 m 45.51 — Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. January 23, 2021
400 m (relay split) 44.5 — San José, Costa Rica July 21, 2019 [25]
Long jump 8.02 m (26 ft 3+1⁄2 in) +1.4 Athens, Georgia, U.S. April 9, 2021
Indoor long jump 8.25 m (27 ft 3⁄4 in) — Clemson, South Carolina, U.S. January 14, 2022

International competitions

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Representing the   United States
Year Competition Position Event Time Wind (m/s) Venue Notes
2018 World U20 Championships 1st (semi 3) 4×400 m relay 3:05.57 — Tampere, Finland WU20L, Q[note 1]
2019 Pan American U20 Championships 1st 100 m 10.11 +0.5 San José, Costa Rica PB
1st 200 m 20.31 -0.8 WU20L, PB[25]
1st 4×100 m relay 38.62 — WU20R[note 2]
1st 4×400 m relay 2:59.30 — WU20R[note 3]
2023 World Athletics Championships H1 1st 4×400 m relay 2:58.47 Budapest, Hungary
1st Mixed 4x 400m Relay 3:08.80 WR

National championships

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Representing the Strake Jesuit Crusaders (2018–2019) and Georgia Bulldogs (2021)
Year Competition Position Event Time / Mark Wind (m/s) Venue Notes
2018 U.S. U20 Championships 6th Long jump 23' 11.5"(7.30 m) -1.0 Bloomington, Indiana
6th 400 m 46.59 —
2019 U.S. U20 Championships 1st 100 m 10.15 w +2.3 Miramar, Florida Wind-assisted
3rd Long jump 25' 3.5" (7.71 m) +1.9
1st 200 m 20.36 +0.7 PB
2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships 7th Long jump 25' 5.25" (7.75 m) — Fayetteville, Arkansas
1st 200 m 20.19 — WL
4th 4×400 m 3:04.84 —
NCAA Division I Championships 2nd 4×100 m relay 38.54 — Eugene, Oregon
6th 100 m 10.19 +0.4
5th 200 m 20.48 -0.4
U.S. Olympic Trials 14th 100 m 10.22 +0.7 Eugene, Oregon
9th 200 m 20.27 +0.9
2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships 5th 60 m 6.63 Birmingham, Alabama
DQ 200 m 20.76
3rd Long Jump 7.86
4th 4x400m 3:05.46
NCAA Division I Championships 6th 100 m 10.18 +0.6 Eugene, Oregon
2nd 200 m 20.13 +0.6
SF2 3rd 4x400 m 3:03.73
USATF National Championships 12th Long Jump 7.78 +0.6 Eugene, Oregon
6th 200 m 20.15 -0.3
2023 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships 1st 200 m 20.12 Albuquerque, New Mexico
2nd 4x400 m 3:03.10
NCAA Division I Championships SF2 4th 200 m 20.25 +0.6 Austin, Texas
SF2 3rd 4x100 m 38.62
7th 4x400 m 3:03.22
USATF National Championships 6th 400m 45.17 Eugene, Oregon
  • NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.[3]


Track records

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As of September 2024, Boling holds the following track records for 100 metres and 200 metres.


100 metres

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Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date
Webster 9.97 + 4.2 27/04/2019


200 metres

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Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date
Oxford, Mississippi 20.01 + 0.3 14/05/2022

Notes

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  1. ^ The team with Boling qualified for the final, but he did not run with the team in the final; However, the team that ran in the final finished 2nd, so Boling earned a silver medal for his contribution.[26]
  2. ^ Shared with Arian Smith, Justin Ofotan, and Marcellus Moore for the United States.[27][28][29]
  3. ^ Shared with Frederick Lewis, Matthew Moorer, and Justin Robinson for the United States.[28][29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "ATHLETE PROFILE Matthew BOLING". World Athletics. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Matthew Boling - 2019-20 - Track & Field - University of Georgia Athletics". Georgia Bulldogs. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "MATTHEW BOLING (FR-1) GEORGIA". TFRRS. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Solomon, Jerome (April 2, 2022). "Solomon: After win, Boling just getting started". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  5. ^ Nichols, Lee (March 30, 2019). "Sprinter/Jumper Boling Is The Talk Of High School Track". Track & Field News. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  6. ^ Redford, Patrick (May 12, 2019). "Matthew Boling's 100-Meter National Record Wasn't Even His Most Stunning Performance". Deadspin. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Nichols, Lee (May 2019). "Texas State Boys — Matthew Boling Creates New Legend". Track & Field News. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Matthew Boling
  9. ^ @matthew_boling1 (April 2, 2013). "Boling at ROBS" – via Instagram.
  10. ^ @matthew_boling1 (February 21, 2016). "Boling high jump" – via Instagram.
  11. ^ "Matthew BOLING | Profile".
  12. ^ McNulty, Matt (May 14, 2019). "Teen Runner Known as 'White Lightning' Breaks 100-Meter High School Record". People. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019 – via PEOPLE.com.
  13. ^ Mack, Gordon (April 27, 2019). "Matthew Boling Breaks High School All-Conditions 100m Record In 9.98!". FloTrack. FloSports. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019 – via flotrack.org.
  14. ^ Kussoy, Howie (May 13, 2019). "'White Lightning' stuns again for high school 100-meter record". New York Post. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019 – via nypost.com.
  15. ^ Coleman, Adam (June 28, 2019). "Strake Jesuit's Matthew Boling wins Gatorade National Boys Track Athlete of the Year". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  16. ^ Lindstrom, Seige (September 12, 2019). "2019 HS Boys Athlete Of The Year — Matthew Boling". Track & Field News. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  17. ^ "Matthew BOLING | Profile | World Athletics".
  18. ^ "Men 200 M".
  19. ^ "Men 200 M".
  20. ^ "Ratified: USA's world mixed 4x400m record". worldathletics.org. November 28, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  21. ^ Graham, Pat (September 26, 2023). "Georgia sprinter Matthew Boling turns pro, remains on fast track since prep performance went viral". AP News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  22. ^ Mull, Cory (September 26, 2023). "Matthew Boling On Going Pro: 'I Wanted To Go All-In And Embrace My Dreams'". FloTrack. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Sports, A. J. C. "Matthew Boling, former UGA sprint star, finishes 8th in 400 meter finals". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  24. ^ DawgNation. "Matthew Boling misses qualifying for Olympics' 200 meters". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  25. ^ a b "Pan-Am Junior Champs — U.S. Relays Run Rampant". Track & Field News. August 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  26. ^ "4 x 400 Metres Relay Men - Round 1" (PDF). International Association of Athletics Federation. July 14, 2018. p. 3. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  27. ^ Boren, Cindy (July 22, 2019). "Matthew Boling, the viral video track star, anchors a record-setting relay run". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  28. ^ a b Dutch, Taylor (July 21, 2019). "Track Phenom Matthew Boling Leads Two Relay Teams to U20 World Records in Two Days". Runner's World. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  29. ^ a b Robinson, Javier (July 22, 2019). "Boling leads weekend of three world U20 records at Pan American U20 Championships". World Athletics. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
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Awards
Preceded by Track & Field News High School Boys Athlete of the Year
2019 		Succeeded by
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