matt biondi obituary

He spent 12 years bouncing from appearance to appearance, city to city, first to sign autographs and. "Biondi is Learning to Set his Pace." Over time, the anger faded. Bitter at the resistance he faced for trying to transform swimming into a truly professional endeavor after his triumphant performance at the Seoul Olympics, he turned his back on the sport that was such a big part of his life. Encyclopedia.com. Matthew M. Biondi BIONDI, MATTHEW M. January 27, 2020, age 48, beloved companion and best friend of Camille L. Tabone; son of Sharon (nee English) Biondi and the late Angelo M. Biondi; brother of Renee Biondi and Mark Biondi. Biondi married Kirsten Metzger in her home state of Hawaii in 1995. Less than a year later, he shockingly made the 1984 Olympic squad and won a gold medal with the 400-meter freestyle team. With the U.S. Olympic trials set to start on Sunday and the Tokyo Games less than two months away Biondi isnt looking to make a big splash right away. I was sad for our sport.. ), and going back to that VHS in subsequent years each time I was looking to wield motivation for my own swimming aspirations. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral mass at St. Francis of Assisi American National Catholic Edith Suarez American swimmers dont have a sense for the economy of the sport. Two days later, Biondi won the silver medal in the 100 meter butterfly, one-hundredth of a second behind Anthony Nesty of Suriname. Matt Biondi has picked up where he left off nearly three decades ago. "Biondi, Jager Better Olympians' Marks." Biondi is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. Im somewhat of a fossil when it comes to Twitter and Instagram and Facebook, Biondi said with a chuckle. 3893. Kirsten Biondi persuaded her husband to continue his education, and he earned his master's degree in education in 2000 at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He was extremely bitter about the whole experience and retired shortly afterward. "I'm at the point now where I'm not interested in people remembering me for what I've done, but for what I offer.". (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He said the governing body threatened his eligibility for the 1992 Barcelona Games. "Biondi On Course with Butterfly Victory." Biondi set the first of his twelve individual swimming world records in 1985. [10] Biondi's Cal Water Polo teams won NCAA Championships in 1983, 1984, and 1987, and Biondi was voted the team's most valuable player in 1985.[11]. "I was always conscious of every lap and every, stroke. He grew up playing soccer, basketball and water polo, and didnt believe his fathers stories of swimming glory until he was a pre-teen. Matt and Kirsten Biondi, with sons Nate (left) and Lucas (right). Nutley Shade TreeLiving Memorial Applications, Anthony A. Biondi, Jr.Funeral Director and ManagerNJ Lic No. MARILYN BIONDI OBITUARY Marilyn A. Biondi Loving mother and grandmother, 74 Marilyn A. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"4iCDM2Kj_zkwza0YEYz_PYIisBtDcaRB5yBeGj61TRA-86400-0"}; In his final collegiate season, 1987, Biondi repeated as winner in the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyle events, breaking his own NCAA and American records in all three. Youd think that would he an easy sell to those putting in the work, but he often finds swimmers especially those in the U.S. are as resistant to change as the coaches and bureaucrats who benefit from their efforts. "Everyone will be counting the medals and the times and the world records, and making this big judgment: Is Matt a success or a failure?" As a swimmer, he is an eleven-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder in five events. Instead, it sort of ended in a train wreck.. Please share your condolences at www.GRECOFUNERAL.com Funeral Home: Greco Funeral Home 2909 Elmwood Avenue Kenmore, NY US 14217. We are tennis friends of Matt. Biondi ended the Games with five gold medals, one silver, and one bronze and set or contributed to four world records. Beloved Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Aunt, 30 Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry, More AP Olympic coverage: https://www.apnews.com/OlympicGames and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports. The idea of teaching came from Matt's brother Mike, now a middle-school principal in San Ramon. M att Biondi is one of the greatest competitive swimmers in history. Biondi wrote. The funeral will be conducted from the funeral home on Friday, February 17 at 8:45a.m. 23 Feb. 2023 . The New York Times (August 10, 1988). She compe, Spitz, Mark In 1985, Biondi was the NCAA Champion in two individual and two team eventsthe 100 and 200-yard freestyle races and the 4100 yard and 4200 yard freestyle relays. They divorced in 2014. The governing body did not support me. I feel like this is the beginning of something pretty major that will have a big impact on the future of swimming.. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Matthew A. Moore of Valley Falls, New York, who passed away on February 20, 2023, leaving to mourn family and friends. We are saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Edith (nee Calderon) Suarez, peacefully passed away on Friday, February 3, 2023 at her home surrounded by her loved ones. Soviet gymmast Swimming increased its stipends to potential Olympians. Biondi and his family moved to Portland, Ore., where he earned his master's degree at Lewis & Clark College in 2000. It may never get built, Hit bean company Rancho Gordo embroiled in discrimination lawsuit, San Francisco citizens once traveled by gondola. The New York Times (March 23, 1990). Looking back on those Games, here are three lessons that Matt . In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. The man who once said his grueling competitive career left him "scarred for swimming," continues to distance himself from his past. Date. I dont anticipate anything earth-shattering until next year, Biondi said. Visitation Tuesday 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Litsky, Frank. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). BIONDI, MATTHEW M. January 27, 2020, age 48, beloved companion and best friend of Camille L. Tabone; son of Sharon (nee English) Biondi and the late Angelo M. Biondi; brother of Renee Biondi and Mark Biondi. He recalled the time a woman at an East Bay grocery store recognized him and asked if he could wait while she went home to get her camera. You have permission to edit this article. As of 2012, he teaches math and coaches at Sierra Canyon School in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Chatsworth. After nearly two years pitching his idea at meets and clubs around the world, Biondi officially launched the International Swimmers Alliance on Tuesday essentially returning to his long-abandoned effort to modernize the sport. Mrs. Ann M. (nee Coppola) Greiss, 87, of Clifton, NJ, formerly of Lakewood and North Arlington, NJ, passed away on Rachel Dino Though he did not start swimming year-round until he started at Campolindo High School, by his senior year in 1983 Biondi was the top schoolboy sprinter in America with a national high school record of 20.40 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother, 92 There will be a graveside service celebrated at the Glendale Cemetery, 28 Hoover Avenue, Bloomfield on Saturday, February 18 at 11:00 a.m. She was employed by Westinghouse in Harrison for many years before retiring. He also finished 18th in the preliminaries of the 200-meter freestyle, failing to advance to the finals. "The Duel in the Pool Goes to Biondi." [4], In the summer of 1984, Biondi surprised the swimming community by qualifying for a spot on the United States 4100-meter freestyle relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics with his fourth-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle at the Olympic Trials held in Indianapolis. Mrs. Ann M. (nee Coppola) Greiss, 87, of Clifton, NJ, formerly of Lakewood and North Arlington, NJ, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. The Biondi Funeral Home is a third generation family-owned funeral home and a landmark in the Nutley, NJ community. Encyclopedia.com. Muldoon, Katy. Almost every time, somebody would ask him about the plateaus and frustrations that inevitably come with athletics. In 1988, he won seven medals, including five golds, and he added three more medals at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. "I want to make a difference by being in a profession where I can spend a lot of time with kids," Biondi said. Hes been largely focused on getting the organization up and running, complete with all the modern-era conduits of communication. "And even though he sometimes sought it out, he says, the spotlight traumatized him. He just made a lot of sense, Neal said. Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Sister He just made a lot of sense, Neal said. Private funeral services were held for Mrs. Rachel (nee Coppola) Dino, 90, of Belleville, NJ, formerly of Kearny, who passed away Michael Capitti, Jr. They dont see anything beyond the lane, Biondi said. John W. Jordan Litsky, Frank. Biondi started his aquatics career as a swimmer and water polo player in his hometown of Moraga, California. I know he feels pressure, because his dad was an 11-time Olympic medalist, but Ive seen what happens in the long run to so many athletes, and I have every confidence that hes on a great path., Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Libby and Dennis Ponton. His Olympic cachet earned him instant respect, when his students found his name in the Guiness Book of World Records and read a story about him in Sports Illustrated. , Muckenfuss, Mark. [5] At the Los Angeles Olympics, Biondi swam the third leg of the relay, entering the water in second place, just barely behind the team from Australia. Matt and Kirsten Biondi, with sons Nate (left) and Lucas (right). "The press always throws stuff at you," he wrote in his Sports Illustrated diary. Location. American track and field athlete The event gave Biondi the 11th medal of his Olympic career, tying the U.S. record shared by Spitz and Osburn. Please share your condolences at www.GRECOFUNERAL.com. Son Nate is a freshman at Cal. Visitation will be at the Biondi Funeral Home of Nutley, 540 Franklin Avenue on Tuesday, February 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. We had a revenue stream, Biondi proudly recalled. Arrangements by GRECO FUNERAL HOME. Once again Cal repeated as champions in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays, yet again they finished third in the 400 medley relay, and for the second straight year Biondi shared the high-point individual title with Morales. Along with regularly breaking news and putting creative spins on big-issue stories within the Cal athletics beat, Rusty spends his offseasons writing human-interest features on the Bay Area sports landscape. Amazingly, Biondi said many swimmers arent really familiar with his myriad accomplishments, which makes the selling job even tougher. Thats OK. Now, I want to make it better for somebody else.. He commanded appearance fees. The U.S. won the gold medal in Olympic and World Record time. Mrs. Rose J. [7], The next season, 1986, Biondi swept the sprint freestyles, repeating his 1985 victories in the 100 and 200, and adding a win in the 50 with new NCAA and American records in the event. They see me all the time, and Im just the one who assigns homework and gives tests. In his first race, having taken up the sport aged five, he made two false starts and then lost his swimsuit on the dive. Beloved companion and best friend of Camille L. Tabone; son of Sharon (nee English) Biondi and the late Angelo M. Biondi; brother of Renee Biondi and Mark Biondi. And mostly he was swimming against just Americans. 1950- He became a high school math teacher and coach, shunning swimming at its highest levels for 17 years. Im a telephone and email guy.. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. "It seems there's so much emphasis put on that stuff and so little on how a person grows as he works his way toward the Olympics. BIONDI - Matthew M. January 27, 2020, age 48. She was a WWII survivor. Thanks to his 49.67 second split time, the U.S. had taken a four-tenths of a second lead by the time that Biondi turned over the race to anchor swimmer Rowdy Gaines. Whether or not I fill the shoes my dad passed down, thats a big question. Biondi captured gold medals in the 4100 meter freestyle relay and the 4100 meter medley relay and a silver in the 50-meter freestyle. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron. False star Biondi made an inauspicious start as a swimmer. There will be a funeral service celebrated at the funeral home on Saturday, February 25at 10:00 a.m. There are no events scheduled. "I took practice very seriously," Biondi has said. Biondi soon embraced a routine of airplane flights, faceless hotels and corporate gigs. Biondi was swimming with his son Nate, in the deep end of a pool in Hawaii. The future gold medalist threw down his goggles that day in a tantrum and threatened to quit the sport altogether. The Matt Biondi Masters Classic was held for the first time on March 23, 2014, in Simi Valley, California. Bitter at the resistance he faced for trying to transform swimming into a truly professional endeavor after his triumphant performance at the Seoul Olympics, he turned his back on the sport that was such a big part of his life. The New York Times (March 30, 1985). Matthew A. Moore Obituary. He knows improvement is my only athletic goal for him and that my only expectation of him is that he graduates, Matt Biondi said. In the 100-meter butterfly final race, he was caught between strokes as he approached the finishing wall. Mrs. Ines Anna (nee Scagliarini) Bottone, of Spartanburg, SC, formerly of Aventura, FL and Randolph, 2023 Biondi Funeral Home. Is that you?. Visitation will be at the Biondi Funeral Home of Nutley, 540 Franklin Avenue on Tuesday, February 7 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Matt Biondi has picked up where he left off nearly three decades ago. In 1986, he won those again and added the 50-yard freestyle crownto become the first swimmer in fifty-six years to capture the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle championships in the same year. He's also The Chronicle's golf columnist, covering the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and all major championships in Northern California. If desired memorials may be made in Matthew's memory to North Shore Animal League America, 25 Davis Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050. There, with a two-page spread in a book about some of the worlds greatest athletes, was a photo of his math teacher. We are taking great measures to go carefully, go methodically, so we can build a solid reputation among the swimming community that we are a helpful, useful organization.. Mrs. Rose J. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon), Matt Biondi of Moraga, Ca., U.S.A., is shown with his Olympic gold medal during awarding cermonies after the men's 800-meter freestyle relay at the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, Sept. 21, 1988. Bitter at the resistance he faced for trying to transform the sport of swimming, Biondi turned his back on the sport in the early 1990s. While attending the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, Biondi became the first swimmer in more than a half-century to sweep the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyle races in the NCAA Championships. BIONDI, MATTHEW M. January 27, 2020, age 48, beloved companion and best friend of Camille L. Tabone; son of Sharon (nee English) Biondi and the late Angelo M. Biondi; brother of Renee Biondi and Mark Biondi. nancy@conejovalleymultisportmasters.com (818) 469-9972. Beloved Father, Grandfather and Great-Grandfather, 94 Bitter at the resistance he faced for trying to transform swimming into a truly professional endeavor after his. Shy by nature, Biondi found the near-constant attention from the news media and the public emotionally difficult. Biondi chafed at a news coverage depicting his performance as disappointing. Then again, fame began to gnaw at Biondi. This is a carousel. Kirsten still resides in Hawaii. Kroichick writes features on the Warriors during the NBA season, and various other topics - ranging from the 49ers/NFL and major-league baseball to college football and basketball - the rest of the year. Rancho Simi Community Park Pool. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. I felt unheard. He finished second to Tom Jager of UCLA in the 50-yard freestyle and was part of Cal's second place 400-yard medley relay team. Visitation will be at the Biondi Funeral Home of Nutley, 540 Franklin Avenue on Tuesday, February 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This is a carousel. Tweet. WHERE ARE THEY NOW / Matt Biondi / Biondi cashes out on swimming fame / Olympian finds peace teaching school in Hawaii, BIONDI-C-24SEP88-SP-AP.jpg "Instead of addressing adulatory fans on the rubber-chicken circuit, Biondi stands before a room of sarcastic teenagersand he loves it," Sports Illustrated reported. Address: Office, USA Swimming, One Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO, 80909. Private Funeral Services will be held at the convenience of the family. He was also one of the smartest and hardest working people I ever met. Biondi first competed at the age of five and even then you could tell he was destined for big things as in the final race of the season he set the age group record by swimming the freestyle event in 16.2 seconds. Exclusive: Stunning photos show Yosemite National Park under 15 feet of Warriors treating Andrew Wiggins with understandable patience, but his California snowpack hits highest level this century for March, could Map shows which parts of California exceeded entire years worth of rain, Map shows stunning improvement in California drought, Last chance to see: Bay Bridge lights turn off on Sunday. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. [15], Biondi competed at the World Championships in 1986 and 1991, winning six gold medals. ", Biondi's wife convinced him to return to college. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Sister Hes quietly signed up more than 100 swimmers from 31 nations, with a leadership group that includes Olympic champions Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands, Katinka Hosszu of Hungary, Chad le Clos of South Africa and American Lia Neal, who recently announced her retirement from competition. In fact, they actively suppressed my ability to compete. They have three children: sons Nathaniel (Nate), born in 1998, a current senior for the Cal mens swimming program, and Lucas, born in 2002; and their daughter Makena, born in 2007. In two World Championships (1986 and 1991), Biondi won 11 medals including six gold. More than a decade after his death, Jesse Owens remains enshrined in memory as one of the greates, Biomedicine and Health: The Germ Theory of Disease, Biomedicine and Health: The Cardiovascular System, Biomedicine and Health: The Brain and Nervous System, Biomedicine and Health: Reproductive System, Biomedicine and Health: Psychology and Psychiatry, Biomedicine and Health: Prions and Koch's Postulates, Biomedicine and Health: Organ Transplantation, Biomedicine and Health: Medical Imaging and Noninvasive Medicine, Biomedicine and Health: Immunity and the Immune System, https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/biondi-matt, Named American Swimmer of the Year and nominated for the Sullivan Award, which goes to America's outstanding amateur athlete, Becomes first swimmer ever to win seven medals at the World Championships, Wins seven Olympic medals, tying record set by Mark Spitz in 1972, Wins three more Olympic medals and ties Spitz and shooter Carl Osburn with total of 11, Marries Kirsten Metzger in Hawaii, her home state, Earns master's degree in education from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, Begins teaching high school math in Hawaii, All-American in swimming and water polo; member of NCAA Champion water polo team, NCAA Swimmer of the Year; American Swimmer of the Year; All-American in swimming and water polo, NCAA champion in 100 yard freestyle, 200 yard freestyle, 4, U.S. Olympic Committee Male Athlete of the Year; NCAA Swimmer of the Year; All-American in swimming and water polo, NCAA champion in 50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle, 200 yard freestyle, 4, Three gold medals (100 meter freestyle, 4, NCAA Swimmer of the Year; All-American in swimming and water polo; member of NCAA Champion water polo team, U.S. Olympic Committee Male Athlete of the Year, Five gold medals (50 meter freestyle, 100 meter freestyle, 4, Four gold medals (50 meter freestyle, 100 meter freestyle, 4. USA Swimming was out to produce the best-quality athletes to win the most medals at Olympics. He. The funeral will be conducted from the funeral home on Friday, February 24 at 8:45 a.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated at Janet Drappi . Times have changed. He landed endorsement deals. Russian speed skater By that point, he was an expert speaker. Nate may not have had a very rewarding freshman year, but he made improvements. There will be no prior visitation. (February 23, 2023). Service above self and attention to detail is our foundation. Time has not dimmed Biondis remarkable swimming career, his legacy cemented by a dynamic showing at Seoul in 1988 when he made a run at Mark Spitzs then-record of seven gold medals in a single games. Thats it, Biondi says now. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. He repeated the feat a year lateranother first. Mr. James Pedone, 63, of Newark, NJ passed away on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at his home. Matt was the Vice President of NTS Data, our voter registration software vendor. Recognized as one of track and field history's most accomplished sprinters, Evelyn Ashford is, Skoblikova, Lydia After nearly two years pitching his idea at meets and clubs around the world, Biondi officially launched the International Swimmers Alliance on Tuesday essentially returning to his long-abandoned effort to modernize the sport. Adding salt to the wound in Barcelona, he was demoted to the preliminaries of the 4x100 free relay after Jon Olsen edged him by two-hundreds of a second in the individual event. All that we love becomes a part of us", Anthony A. Biondi, Sr. | Director Emeritus, 1935 - 2022 | NJ Lic No. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. [16], In recent years, Biondi has worked as a school teacher and swimming coach in Hawaii. Matthew Nicholas Biondi (born October 8, 1965) is an American former competitive swimmer and water polo player. There will be no prior visitation. He reached his zenith at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, where he won seven medals to tie the record set by swimming legend Mark Spitz . The funeral will be conducted from the funeral home on Wednesday, February 15 at 8:45 a.m. Beloved Father, Brother and Grandfather, 62 Obituary: Kenneth James Parks Sr., 66, of Oxford Ken was a retired sheet metal worker for MRS and was a member of the Sheet Metal Workers' Local 40. "I'm just really thrilled Matt was able to move on and not just keep reliving the glory days," Thornton said. Biondi wants to follow the path set by other groups that are looking to give more power to Olympic-sport competitors, including Global Athlete and the Athletics Association, which is focused on track and field. Obituaries Mary Vena Mary "Mima" Vena, 70 of Hazlet passed away Tuesday February 28, 2023 at Bayshore Community Hospital of Holmdel. Rusty Simmons has worked at the San Francisco Chronicle as a reporter since 2002, when he moved to the Bay Area from Texas - via Washington, D.C., Seattle and Germany. He hopes to add a few more before hes done. He became a high school math teacher and coach, shunning swimming at its highest levels for 17 years. Many years ago, at a Junior Olympics qualifying event, Matt Biondi thought hed had enough of swimming. She was born in Irvington, New Jersey to the late Theodore Preblick and Irene (Stefanski) Preblick. 3893. Mark Spitz We need a generation of swimmers who are willing to look at the big picture of the sport.. I get my credibility through Wikipedia, he quipped. I felt used. Rosemary Falcon, 30, of Newark, NJ passed away on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at University Hospital, Newark. I had pulled our medley relay and free relay from oblivion so many times at top level competitions, Biondi said. Private funeral services were held for Mrs. Rachel (nee Coppola) Dino, 90, of Belleville, NJ, formerly of Kearny, who passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at her home surrounded by her loving family. Beloved Mother and Grandmother, 90 Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother, 92 Nate Biondi, a freshman at Cal, didnt make the traveling squad that will compete in the NCAA championships from Wednesday through Saturday in Minneapolis, but he has the ability and work ethic that predict hell have an impact on the perennial power before too long. If desired memorials may be made in Matthew's memory to North Shore Animal League America, 25 Davis Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050. Surprisingly, Nate Biondi said he hasnt felt pushed to live up to dads legacy, which includes 11 Olympic medals, five world records and eight individual NCAA championships. For decades, theyve been the race horses. Biondi finished with five golds, a silver (by one-hundredth of a second) and a bronze. Now, he is back at the pool, leading a new organization that hopes to improve the state of swimmers who have long been mere afterthoughts to those who make all the important decisions and cash in on their efforts. To send flowers to the family in memory of Matthew M. Biondi please visit our, 25 Davis Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050. Beloved Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Aunt, 30 Biondi told her that he "felt like life was getting too easy, too soft. Since the fall of 2001, Matt Biondi has taught high school math at Parker School in Kamuela, Hawaii. People don't seem to realize that I'm coming here with only one world record, in the 100 free. Waimea offers a distinct contrast, with its three traffic lights and unmistakable small-town atmosphere. Biondi, dumbfounded, resisted the temptation to identify himself. "What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother, 87 We will miss him dearly. His personal record: 12 cities in eight days. Biondi anchored the U.S. team to a world record victory of 7 minutes, 12.51 seconds. Hes quietly signed up more than 100 swimmers from 31 nations, with a leadership group that includes Olympic champions Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands, Katinka Hosszu of Hungary, Chad le Clos of South Africa and American Lia Neal, who recently announced her retirement from competition. Sports Illustrated (October 3, 1988). There was a sw Matt was a long time member of our Saturday Morning tennis group. Biography Exept for Matthew Biondi, the only other swimmers to have won seven golds at the Olympic Games are Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps.