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 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 × 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 mark at the Texas Relays, 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 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).

Early life Matthew Boling was born to Mark and Monique Boling on June 20, 2000, with a twin brother, Michael.Matthew Boling They grew up in Houston, Texas, and attended River Oaks Baptist School, where Matthew began running track. The two then began attending Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. Initially, Matthew competed in the high jump, then began focusing on the long jump and the 400 m. At the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships, Boling ran the opening leg for the USA's 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 (+4.2 m/s) time of 9.98 seconds on April 27, 2019, setting the high school all-conditions record in the 100 m. He subsequently took on the nickname White Lightning, which was a reference to his race and to his speed, although Boling himself publicly stated he disliked attention being called to his race. He also long jumped 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 100 m, and anchored Strake Jesuit to 3rd in the . He went viral once again in the when he split 44.74 seconds on his anchor leg to bring Strake Jesuit a win from over 20 m behind.

After winning the 100 m and 200 m 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 100 m time of 10.11 was also a championship record. He then ran the 4th and 2nd legs for the USA's and 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, and he was named the 2019 High School Boys Athlete Of The Year by Track & Field News.Lindstrom, Siege (September 12, 2019). "2019 HS Boys Athlete Of The Year — Matthew Boling". Track & Field News. Retrieved April 13, 2021.

Collegiate career 2020 Before his first season at Georgia was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Boling attempted the 60 m, 200 m, Long Jump and the indoors. At the SEC Indoor Championships, Boling finished second overall in the 200 m with 20.71 seconds, losing to Terrance Laird of LSU from the first section.

2021 Returning to track, Boling again tried each event and chose to focus on the 200 m 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 200 m indoor NCAA national title. Boling clocked a 20.19, 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 100 m and . At the SEC Outdoor Championships, Laird won the 100 m/200 m double, while Boling finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. His time of 20.06 seconds was a personal best in the 200 m. Boling ran the anchor for Georgia's , 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 100 m and 200 m, respectively. Boling was considered a Freshman in 2021 by many, due to COVID-19 causing a short season his Freshman year.

Boling stayed in Eugene for the US Olympic Trials, where he finished 14th overall in the 100 m semis and 9th overall in the 200 m semis, bringing his first complete College season and first Olympic tryout to an end.

2022 At the 2022 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Boling placed 4th in the 100 m in a time of 10.13 and won the 200 m with the time of 20.01. At the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Boling placed 6th in the 100 m with a time of 10.18 and finished 2nd in the 200 m in a time of 20.13.

2023 Boling ran the third leg of the mixed relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. 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. In an interview, he reflected on his decision, citing 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."

Professional career 2024 At the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Boling was a member of the US team for the relay, earning a silver medal.

In the 2024 US Olympic Qualifying Trials Boling made the finals in the 400 m, finishing in 8th place. In the 200 m, he did not qualify for the finals, ultimately recording the 9th fastest time. Needing a top 3 event finish, Boling failed to automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympics and was not selected for a relay team.

Statistics Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Personal records Event Time / Mark Wind (m/s) Venue Date Notes60 m6.56College Station, Texas, U.S.February 25, 2022Indoor 60 m100 m 9.98 +1.6 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. April 16, 2022 9.97  +4.2 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 44.84 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. July 19, 2024 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 Long jump +1.4 Athens, Georgia, U.S. April 9, 2021 Indoor long jump Clemson, South Carolina, U.S. January 14, 2022

International competitions +Representing the Year Competition Position Event Time Wind (m/s) Venue Notes 2018 World U20 Championships 1st (semi 3) relay 3:05.57 Tampere, Finland , 2019 Pan American U20 Championships 1st 100 m 10.11 +0.5 San José, Costa Rica 1st 200 m 20.31 -0.8 , 1st relay 38.62 1st relay 2:59.30 2023World Athletics ChampionshipsH1 1st relay2:58.47Budapest, Hungary1stMixed Relay3:08.80WR

National championships +Representing the Strake Jesuit Crusaders (2018–2019) and Georgia Bulldogs (2021) Year Competition Position Event Time / Mark Wind (m/s) Venue Notes2018 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 +2.3 Miramar, Florida Wind-assisted3rd Long jump 25' 3.5" (7.71 m) +1.9 1st 200 m 20.36 +0.7 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships 7th Long jump 25' 5.25" (7.75 m) Fayetteville, Arkansas 1st 200 m 20.19 4th 3:04.84 NCAA Division I Championships 2nd 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 2022NCAA Division I Indoor Championships5th60 m6.63Birmingham, AlabamaDQ200 m20.763rdLong Jump7.864th3:05.46NCAA Division I Championships6th100 m10.18 +0.6Eugene, Oregon2nd200 m20.13 +0.6SF2 3rd3:03.73USATF National Championships12thLong Jump7.78 +0.6Eugene, Oregon6th200 m20.15 -0.32023NCAA Division I Indoor Championships1st200 m20.12Albuquerque, New Mexico2nd3:03.10NCAA Division I ChampionshipsSF2 4th200 m20.25 +0.6Austin, TexasSF2 3rd38.627th3:03.22USATF National Championships6th400 m45.17Eugene, Oregon NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.

Circuit performances

Track records As of September 2024, Boling holds the following track records for 100 metres and 200 metres.

100 metres LocationTimeWindspeedm/sDate Webster 9.97 +4.2 27/04/2019

200 metres LocationTimeWindspeedm/sDate Oxford, Mississippi 20.01 +0.3 14/05/2022

Notes

References

External links