The Doha World Championships 2024 is midway, and the swimmers are hitting the water on the second-last day. With top-class maneuvers, not any USA swimmer, but a young buck from Portugal, is posing serious contention. Diogo Matos Ribeiro, the 19-year-old swimmer, rather a precocious soul, has outdone all his rivals in the Men’s 100m butterfly event. Clocking in at 51.17, he has proven his worth on the global stage again.
His notable achievement at this event came at his 50m butterfly gold-winning moment, which made him the first Portuguese to win a WC title. With this 100m win today, he’s just confidently building on his stellar resume. His last World Championships in Fukuoka placed him with a silver. At that event, too, he recorded history by walking home with the first Portuguese World medal in history.
But this win in Doha went beyond comprehension. “I can’t believe that I am a world champion and that the national anthem of Portugal will sound for me, for the first time ever”, said the 19-year-old. Having upgraded to gold, it was a close call between Ribeiro and Cam McEvoy, who battled to the best of their ability in the last five meters. It was ultimately the survival of the fittest. “My breakout wasn’t good, but then I gave my all”, explained how Ribeiro sports athleticism at all times. A past incident solidified it.
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Doha World Championships: A setback to a shining throne
In 2021, when his impressive career was on the surge, a setback came as a motorcycle accident. As a result, he ended up with a dislocated shoulder and a broken foot. Moreover, he even lost a portion of his right index finger. “I thought I wouldn’t go back into the water again, but I did”, he had said when candidly speaking to SwimSwam in 2022. Having stepped foot on the senior stage in 2023, Ribeiro came in his best form in 2024. All thanks to the Olympic year.
READ MORE: Doha World Championships: USA Faces a Blow From China, Walks Away With Bronze
“…we know that being in a World Championships isn’t about doing your best in the heats or the semifinal, it’s about doing it in the final.” Like his adorable smile winning hearts, his strokes on the pool have brought the world to its feet by now. Only eyeing the gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 2x Doha gold champ is girding up.
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