Matt Hemingway

Matt Hemingway is a retired American high jumper born on October 24, 1972, in Los Angeles, California. Standing 200 cm and weighing 84 kg, he won the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics with a clearance of 2.34 metres.

Hemingway's personal best of 2.38 metres came at the 2000 U.S. Indoor Championship. Originally from Buena Vista, Colorado, he graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1996. After struggling in 1997 and feeling burnt out, he took two years off to work as a whitewater rafting guide and married his college sweetheart Kate in 1998.

Returning to competition in 2000, Hemingway revitalized his career and eventually captured Olympic silver in Athens. His gracious reaction to finishing second, saying "You don't lose gold medals, people win them. I won a silver," exemplified his sportsmanship.