2008 Olympian (Australia)
Three-time NCAA Champion (200 FR, 400 FR)
Nine-time All-American
Three-time SEC Champion (200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR)
2007-08: Competed in the 100m free, 400m free relay, 400m medley relay while representing Australia in the 2008 Olympic Games... Earned two Olympic Medals at the Olympic Games - a sliver medal in the 400m medley relay (3:30.04) and a bronze medal in the 400 free relay (3:09.91)... Individually in Beijing, Target swam to a seventh-place finish in the 100 free (48.20)... At the Telestra Australian Swimming and Championships, Targett competed in the 50m fly, 100m fly, 50m free and 100 free... Swam to a win in the 50m butterfly (23.51), second-place in the 100m free (48.36) and two fourth-place finishes in the 50m free (22.37) and 100m fly (52.65)... Competed for the Australian national team at the Japan International Gran Prix... Won gold as the third leg (48.78) on the winning 400m freestyle relay (3:14.26) and silver in the 100m free (49.47)... Took the year off from Auburn swimming and diving as the Telestra Australian Swimming Championships conflicted with the 2008 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
Junior Season (2006-07): Tallied five All-America honors at the NCAA Championships... Won two NCAA titles as part of the winning 200 free and 400 free relay teams... Swam an 18.71 split as the second leg in the 200 free relay that won with a time of 1:14.71... Also swam the third leg of the 400 free relay, clocking a 41.45 split that helped the team finish in 2:46.56... Finished runner-up to teammate Cesar Cielo in the 50 free with a personal-best time of 19.08 - a mark that ranks third all-time at Auburn... Finished sixth in the 100 free with a time of 42.71, slower than his preliminary time of 42.44 that ranks fifth all-time at Auburn... Also led the team in the 100 fly, finishing third in a time of 45.87 - a mark that ranks second all-time at Auburn... At the SEC Championships, Targett won three conference titles as part of relay teams... He swam the freestyle anchor (18.76) that won the 200 medley relay in 1:24.63... Targett also swam anchor (19.01) as part of the winning 200 free relay (1:16.52) and swam the second leg (41.95) on the SEC champion 400 free relay team that finished in 2:51.31.
Sophomore Season (2005-06): Ranked in a tie for 10th in the World in the 50m fly (23.86) and is tired for 41st in the 50m free (22.82) as of Sept. 13... Earned five All-American honors at his first NCAA Championship, including a NCAA title with the 200 free relay... Split the fastest 50 free of the entire championship field, 18.67, in the second position... Rest of 200 free relay team - Cesar Cielo, Bryan Lundquist and George Bovell put together a winning time of 1:16.15... Had the fastest splits of the championship final field on both the 400 free relay and 200 medley relay... Split 41.68 as the third leg of the runner-up finishing 400 free relay... Swam a 18.72 anchor split on the second-place medley relay... Came in seventh in the 100 free with a finals time of 42.89... Also competed in the 50 free and swam a personal best 19.65 and the 100 fly... Represented his native country of Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the 50m fly... Swam the top time in the semi-final round (23.86)... Earned a spot on the Australian Commonwealth team with a third place finish at trials (24.00)... At the 2005 FINA World Cup in Sydney, Australia, finished fourth in the 50m (SCM) free with a time of 22.18 and was seventh in the 100m free (49.09).
Prior to Auburn: Won the 50m free at the 2005 Australian short course championships with a time of 21.96... Swam on the winning 400 and 800 free relay team[apos]s at the Australian championship... Attended the University of Virginia and competed with the Cavaliers during the 2004-05 season... Earned All-ACC honors in the 50 free with a third place finish in a time of 20.03... Won the consolation final of the 100 fly at ACCs (48.59) and came in fourth in the 100 free (44.36)... Helped lead UVA team to seventh consecutive ACC title.
In Australia: Trained with Ian Pope and the Melbourne Vicentre... Three-time medalist at the 2004 Australian Age nationals, earning bronze in the 50m free and silver medals for the free and medley relays... 16-time state champion ... Holds the state records in the short course and long course 18 and under 50 free... Member of the state 18 and under team in 2002, 2003, 2004... Recipient of a 2004 Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship and a 2002 Australian Institute of Sport scholarship... Former member of the Australian under-17 and under-19 water polo team.
Personal: Full name is Matthew Craig Stephen Targett... Parents are Steve and Vera Targett... Born on December 24, 1985... Has one sister, Lisa... Majoring in marketing.