BELCHER Mathew

General
GOING FOR GOLD
After winning gold in the 470 class alongside Malcolm Page at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, he began sailing with new crewmate Will Ryan. Ryan is 17 years younger than Page, who had decided to retire from the sport. The new partnership achieved immediate success, winning every event they entered in 2012 and 2013. In 2014 their accomplishments continued, finishing on the podium at every international regatta they competed in. Although the pair had to settle for silver in the 470 class at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, they decided to complete another Olympic cycle together and for gold at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. "I'm excited to go back to another Olympics with Will. We are really motivated and will strive to go one better than Rio." (smh.com.au, 20 Sep 2019; readysteady.tokyo2020.org, 26 Aug 2019; goldcoastbulletin.com.au, 17 Oct 2014; thesaturdaypaper.com.au, 25 Oct 2014)

FURTHER EDUCATION
He has two master's degrees from Bond University in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. He studied urban development and sustainability between 2012 and 2014, and completed a master's in project management between 2012 and 2018. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2019; bond.edu.au, 28 Nov 2018)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has served as a member of the Australian Institute of Sport [AIS] Athletes' Commission, the International Olympic Class 470 Management Committee, and as a member of Yachting Australia's Athletes' Commission. (belcherryan2016.com, 04 Feb 2019; profiletalent.com.au, 2014)

In 2015 he became the first sailor in the 470 class to win six world championship titles in a row, claiming three of them alongside Malcolm Page and the other three with Will Ryan. He has since won a further two titles at the world championships, securing gold with Ryan in 2017 and 2019. (SportsDeskOnline, 14 Jan 2020; belcherryan2016.com.au, 19 Oct 2015)