Sydney University Swimming Club member Matt Abood made it to the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle at the 2014 FINA World Short Course Championships, held in Doha, Qatar from December 3-7, but missed out on a berth in the eight-man final.
With 144 competitors taking the blocks in the event, Abood had to wait until the 18th heat to push for a berth in one of the two-semi-finals, involving the fastest 16 times.
He knew the time needed and finished 6th in the heat in 21.32sec, which ranked him 15th of the 16 to contest the two semi-finals. Abood finished 7th in his semi-final in 21-46sec, missing a berth in the final.
Frenchman Florent Manaudou won the final in 20.26sec, with Italy’s Marco Orsi taking silver in 20.69, and Brazil’s Cear Cielo Filho collecting bronze in 20.88sec.
Abood’s Australian team-mate Cameron McEvoy finished 6th in the final in 20.89sec.
Abood’s selection in the 20-man Australian team for the World Championships came on the back of a medal winning performance at the 2014 Australian Short Course Championships in Adelaide, where he won in the men’s 50m freestyle and took bronze in the men’s 100m freestyle.
It was his second appearance at the World Short Course Championships. He finished fifth in the 100m freestyle and 14th in the 50m freestyle at the 2010 championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Abood, who is coached by Grant Stoelwinder at the Sydney University pool, was a member of the Australian 4x100m men’s freestyle team that won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Among his career highlights are a gold medal swim in the men’s 4x100m freestyle at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, and a silver medal swim in the 50m freestyle at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona.
