Competition highlights
2008 Olympic Games Silver Medalist in Rifle Prone
2008 Beijing World Cup (Olympic Test Event) silver medalist (air rifle)
2007 USA Shooting Male Athlete of the Year
2007 World Cup Final Gold Medalist (3 position)
2007 World Cup Final Silver Medalist (prone)
2007 October U.S. Olympic Committee Male Athlete of the Month
2007 World Cup USA Gold Medalist (prone)
2007 World Cup USA Silver Medalist (air)
2007 World Cup Munich Silver Medalist (prone)
2007 World Cup Munich Silver Medalist (3 position)
2007 World Cup Bangkok Silver Medalist (3 position)
2007 World Cup Sydney Bronze Medalist (3 position)
2004 Olympic Gold Medalist (prone)
2004 U.S. Olympic Team, eighth (3 position), ninth (air)
2006 World Champions, 50m Prone Team
2004 World Cup Final, gold (3 position), bronze (air)
2000-2004 Four-time NCAA Rifle Championship National Champion with University of Alaska, Fairbanks
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Date of Birth: 5 April 1981
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Brown Mills, New Jersey
Discipline(s): 50 metre rifle three positions
PB: 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist
Coach: Dave Johnson
Background
Matt first began to shoot competitively in high school after Federal Bureau of Investigations firearms instructor Paul Adamowski invited him to give the sport a try. He quickly became passionate about shooting and learned that it would be an excellent way to earn scholarships for college.
While he tried his hand at all three Olympic disciplines, it was rifle that kept his attention. In 1997, after a little over a year of shooting, one of Matt's friends talked his father into allowing him to compete in an international shooting event. It was there that he was able to rise above the field and catch the eye of USA Shooting, by winning both the prone and 3X40 events. Just one short year later Matt, only 17 years old, won the prone competition at the National Championships and was named as part of the National Rifle Team.
Today, Matt is an Olympic champion focused not only on bettering his performance in the next Olympics, but on living his life to the fullest. When he has time to visit Alaska, Matt enjoys camping, hiking, fishing and cross country skiing.
Did You Know?
Matt married Katerina (Katy) Kurkova in Pilsen, Czech Republic on June 30, 2007. Katy and Matt first met at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Katy is a 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist as well as a 2002 World Champion. Matt has already qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in two events, and Katy is was also a top prospect to make the 2008 Team for the Czech Republic. They both live and train at the Colorado Springs, Colo. Olympic Training Center.
A graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Matt says that he wants to make the state his home following his Olympic career. "It has a small town feel, and the people from the area are so supportive. I just love it there."
Matt owns an electric guitar. He purchased a book to teach himself how to play in 2005, and says that he has gradually improved while practicing in the athlete dorms.
This rifleman is not just about shooting around the range. Matt once pitched a perfect game for his high school baseball team in Pemberton, N.J.
Matt also holds a degree in management and finance from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
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