Matthew Stephen Targett (born 24 December 1985) is an Australian sprint freestyle and

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

and model.

Career

2006 Commonwealth Games

In 2006 and in his home town of Melbourne, Targett competed in the 50-metre butterfly, finishing second and placing above more experienced countrymen

Michael Klim Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

and

Matt Welsh Matthew James Welsh (born 18 November 1976) is an Australian swimmer who is the former world champion in the backstroke and butterfly. He took two golds in 50-meter butterfly and 50-meter backstroke, during one hour, at the World Championship ...

. Targett was later disqualified for twitching before the starter's signal.

2008 Olympic Games

Targett's second international meet was at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, capturing a silver in the 4×100-metre medley and a bronze in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, both in new Commonwealth record time. He also finished 7th in the individual 100-metre freestyle.

2009 World Championships

Matt Targett's first world championships came in 2009 in Rome, Italy, he swam 4 races on day one, and thus not looking in peak form in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, with the absence of Ashley Callus and

Eamon Sullivan Eamon Wade Sullivan (born 30 August 1985) is an Australian former sprint swimmer, three-time Olympic medallist, and former world record-holder in two events. He was also the winner of the first season of '' Celebrity MasterChef Australia'', a ...

, Australia was never in medal territory. Everything turned around on night 2, when he captured a silver in the 50-metre butterfly, with a terrific first 35 meters, he started to even up and he was touched out by

Milorad Čavić Milorad "Milo" Čavić ( sr-Cyrl, Милорад "Мило" Чавић, ; born May 31, 1984) is a Serbian former professional swimmer. He won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2008 Summer Olympics in a historic race with American ...

by six hundredths. On the final day of competition he anchored the 4×100-metre medley relay to bronze. In 2010, amidst sickness, Targett finished 5th in 50-metre butterfly and 14th in the 100-metre freestyle at the Telstra Australian Swimming Trials and failed to qualify for a second Commonwealth Games.

2011 World Championships

On night 1,

James Magnussen James Magnussen (born 11 April 1991) is a retired Australian swimmer and Olympic medallist. He was the 2011 and 2013 100-metre freestyle world champion, and holds the record for the fifth fastest swim in history in the 100-metre freestyle, wi ...

was the starter for the Australian relay team for the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, setting a swift 47.49 to get a large lead over

Michael Phelps Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold med ...

and

Alain Bernard Alain Bernard (; born 1 May 1983) is a former French swimmer from Aubagne, Bouches-du-Rhône. Bernard won a total of four medals (two golds, one silver, and one bronze) at two Olympic Games (2008 and 2012). He also won numerous medals at the W ...

. Targett swam the second leg to extend the lead, Australia lead the whole way changing over to the 3rd leg with Matt Abood, finishing with sprinting veteran

holding off a strong finish by France. Night 2 brought more success, capturing silver again in the 50-metre butterfly behind

César Cielo César Augusto Cielo Filho (, born 10 January 1987) is a Brazilian competitive swimmer who specializes in sprint events. He is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history, having obtained three Olympic medals, winning six individual Wor ...

, his compatriot

Geoff Huegill Geoffrey Andrew Huegill (born 4 March 1979) is an Australian swimmer and dual Olympian who won seventy-two international medals, including two medals in Olympics and six world champion titles, throughout his career. He held eight world records, i ...

finishing with the bronze. In the lead up to these championships, Targett developed a reputation at his club for his intensive strength regime outside the pool.

2012 Olympics

Targett was only selected for the 4×100-metre freestyle relay alongside countrymen

and James Roberts. As favorites leading up to the London Games, the team was dubbed "Weapons of Mass Destruction" by the Australian media. The morning team, of which Targett and Sullivan were not part of, qualified fastest for the final. In what has been named by some to be "darkest day" in swimming in recent memory, the team came only 4th behind France, the US and Russia. After a slow start by Magnussen, Targett as second swimmer held on to gain a position, while Sullivan, who had the fastest split of the team retained third place, however anchor James Roberts was unable to hold off a Russian powerhouse team, and was pipped at the wall and finished in 4th position. In a surprise decision by the Australian coaching staff, Targett was selected to swim the butterfly leg of the 4×100-metre medley relay in the heats. Targett swam a 51.30 and as a result was placed into the team for the final along with Hayden Stoeckel,

Christian Sprenger Christian David Sprenger (born 19 December 1985) is an Australian former breaststroke swimmer. He trains at the Commercial Swimming Club under Simon Cusack. Swimming career At the 2008 Australian Swimming Championships he qualified in the 10 ...

and

. Australia cinched bronze in the final, behind the US who claimed gold and only 0.32 of a second behind Japan.

Modeling career

In 2012 Targett launched his career as a male model, signing with Melbourne editorial agency Chadwick Models.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Targett, Matt 1985 births Living people Australian male butterfly swimmers Olympic bronze medalists in swimming Male butterfly swimmers Auburn Tigers men's swimmers Olympic swimmers of Australia Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for Australia Olympic silver medalists for Australia Australian male freestyle swimmers World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in swimming