Matt King

Matthew Carl King (born February 19, 2002) is an American competitive swimmer for the University of Alabama and University of Virginia. He was a 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist for the United States in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay, though he did not swim in the event final.

Early life and swimming Matt King was born in Exeter, New Hampshire on February 19, 2002, to Linda and Craig King and had two brothers. In February 2020, during his Senior year in High School, King was a Washington State champion in the 50 freestyle with a time of 19.81 and the 100 freestyle with a time of 43.34 while competing at the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association state championships at the King County Aquatic Center. At the Championships that year, King accumulated enough points to be named the "Swimmer of the Meet". During his high school years, King was also a junior national champion in the 100 freestyle event.

King had planned to attend the University of Indiana but changed his mind when their Coach Coley Stickles left to coach the University of Alabama.

University of Alabama (2020–21) At Alabama, King swam for Head Coaches Coley Stickels and then Margo Geer and Assistant Coach Roman Willetts. Coach Stickles left Alabama in December 2020. King had a quick impact as a Freshman swimming for Alabama in 2021. At the 2021 SEC Championships, he surprised many by capturing the 100 freestyle title with a time of 41.66, upsetting the former champion, and swimming one of the fastest freshman times in NCAA history. He also placed second in the 50 freestyle with an 18.96, and twelfth in the 100 butterfly. In his future specialty, he helped lead the Alabama relays to four finishes in the top three, which included a win in the 4x100 freestyle relay. At his first NCAA Championships, he earned All America status with a fifth in the 100 free, a third in the 200 free relay, and a seventh in the 4x100 free relay.

University of Virginia (2021–22) King transferred to the University of Virginia for his Sophomore year where he swam for Hall of Fame Coach Todd DeSorbo, who would coach the U.S. Olympic Women's team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the 2022 NCAA Championships, King earned All-American honors again, placing 7th in the 100 freestyle with a time of 41.34 and leading University of Virginia to a fourth and fifth place finish respectively in the 400 and 200 freestyle relays. He placed twelfth in the 50 free with a time of 19.02.

King won a gold medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay at the Paris Olympics on July 27, 2024, where the American team recorded a combined team time of 3:09.28, though he did not swim in the final heat. King swam in a preliminary heat of the 4x100, where the U.S. team placed second, where King recorded a 100-meter time of 48.40 with the