Matthew Boling
American track and field athlete (born 2000)
26 ft 3+1⁄2 in) (2021)
Medal record
| Men's athletics | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing the  United States | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2023 Budapest | 4×400 m relay |
| 2023 Budapest | 4×400 m mixed |
| World U20 Championships | ||
 | 2018 Tampere | 4×400 m relay |
| Pan American U20 Championships | ||
| 2019 San José | 100 m |
| 2019 San José | 200 m |
| 2019 San José | 4×100 m relay |
| 2019 San José | 4×400 m relay |
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.
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
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
Boling went viral in 2019 when he broke the 10-second barrier with a wind-aided 9.98 seconds on April 27, 2019, setting the high school all-conditions record in the 100m. He subsequently took on the nickname White Lightning, which was a reference to his race and to his speed.[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
2020
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
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
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
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 the 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]
Statistics
- Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[1]
Personal records
| 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 | 45.17 | — | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | July 8, 2023 | |
| 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 | [23] |
| 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
| 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[23] | |||
| 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
| 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]
Notes
- ^ 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.[24]
- ^ Shared with Arian Smith, Justin Ofotan, and Marcellus Moore for the United States.[25][26][27]
- ^ Shared with Frederick Lewis, Matthew Moorer, and Justin Robinson for the United States.[26][27]
References
- ^ a b "ATHLETE PROFILE Matthew BOLING". World Athletics. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "Matthew Boling - 2019-20 - Track & Field - University of Georgia Athletics". Georgia Bulldogs. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "MATTHEW BOLING (FR-1) GEORGIA". TFRRS. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ Solomon, Jerome (April 2, 2022). "Solomon: After win, Boling just getting started". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ Nichols, Lee (March 30, 2019). "Sprinter/Jumper Boling Is The Talk Of High School Track". Track & Field News. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ Redford, Patrick (May 12, 2019). "Matthew Boling's 100-Meter National Record Wasn't Even His Most Stunning Performance". Deadspin. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ Nichols, Lee (May 2019). "Texas State Boys — Matthew Boling Creates New Legend". Track & Field News. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ Matthew Boling
- ^ @matthew_boling1 (April 2, 2013). "Boling at ROBS" – via Instagram.
- ^ @matthew_boling1 (February 21, 2016). "Boling high jump" – via Instagram.
- ^ "Matthew BOLING | Profile".
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lindstrom, Seige (September 12, 2019). "2019 HS Boys Athlete Of The Year — Matthew Boling". Track & Field News. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ "Matthew BOLING | Profile | World Athletics".
- ^ "Men 200 M".
- ^ "Men 200 M".
- ^ "Ratified: USA's world mixed 4x400m record". worldathletics.org. November 28, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Pan-Am Junior Champs — U.S. Relays Run Rampant". Track & Field News. August 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ "4 x 400 Metres Relay Men - Round 1" (PDF). International Association of Athletics Federation. July 14, 2018. p. 3. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
External links
- Matthew Boling at World Athletics
- Matthew Boling profile at TFRRS
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Track & Field News High School Boys Athlete of the Year 2019 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
World champions in men's 4 × 400 metres relay
- 1983:
Sergey Lovachov, Aliaksandr Trashchyla, Nikolay Chernetskiy, Viktor Markin (URS) - 1987:
Danny Everett, Roddie Haley, Antonio McKay, Butch Reynolds, Michael Franks, Raymond Pierre (USA) - 1991:
Roger Black, Derek Redmond, John Regis, Kriss Akabusi, Ade Mafe, Mark Richardson (GBR) - 1993: Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson, Antonio Pettigrew, Derek Mills (USA)
- 1995: Marlon Ramsey, Derek Mills, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson, Kevin Lyles, Darnell Hall (USA)
- 1997: Iwan Thomas, Roger Black, Jamie Baulch, Mark Richardson, Mark Hylton (GBR)
- 1999:
Tomasz Czubak, Robert Maćkowiak, Jacek Bocian, Piotr Haczek, Piotr Długosielski (POL) - 2001:
Troy McIntosh, Avard Moncur, Carl Oliver, Timothy Munnings, Chris Brown (BAH) - 2003:
Ahmed Douhou, Naman Keïta, Stéphane Diagana, Marc Raquil, Leslie Djhone (FRA) - 2005: Andrew Rock, Derrick Brew, Darold Williamson, Jeremy Wariner, Miles Smith, LaShawn Merritt (USA)
- 2007: LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, Darold Williamson, Jeremy Wariner, Bershawn Jackson, Kerron Clement (USA)
- 2009: Angelo Taylor, Jeremy Wariner, Kerron Clement, LaShawn Merritt, Lionel Larry, Bershawn Jackson (USA)
- 2011: Greg Nixon, Bershawn Jackson, Angelo Taylor, LaShawn Merritt, Jamaal Torrance, Michael Berry (USA)
- 2013: David Verburg, Tony McQuay, Arman Hall, LaShawn Merritt, James Harris, Joshua Mance (USA)
- 2015: David Verburg, Tony McQuay, Bryshon Nellum, LaShawn Merritt, Kyle Clemons, Vernon Norwood (USA)
- 2017:
Jarrin Solomon, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio, Lalonde Gordon, Renny Quow (TRI) - 2019: Fred Kerley, Michael Cherry, Wilbert London, Rai Benjamin, Tyrell Richard, Vernon Norwood, Nathan Strother (USA)
- 2022: Elija Godwin, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon, Trevor Bassitt, Champion Allison, Michael Norman (USA)
- 2023: Quincy Hall, Vernon Norwood, Justin Robinson, Rai Benjamin, Trevor Bassitt, Matthew Boling, Christopher Bailey (USA)
World champions in mixed 4 × 400 metres relay | |
|---|---|
|
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Qualification |  | |
| Women's track and road athletes |
| |
| Women's field athletes |
| |
| Men's track and road athletes |
| |
| Men's field athletes |
| |
| Coaches and staff |
| |
United States 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | | |
| Men's track |
| |
| Men's field |
| |
| Women's track | ||
| Women's field | ||
| Coaches & Event Manager |
| |
Authority control databases: People  |
|
|---|
