Matthew Abeysinghe

Abeysinghe started swimming when he was 3 years old alongside his elder brother, Andrew. He has been quoted, saying he started swimming merely for water safety, not to compete. Over the course of his career, Abeysinghe has achieved numerous accolades, including; international medals, national records, national championships, and several national awards. Abeysinghe is considered the greatest athlete in South Asian Games history. He is also the most decorated; winning a total of 14 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. In Freestyle, his most proficient stroke, Abeysinghe holds all of the national records except for the 200m Freestyle, which belongs to his younger brother, Kyle. He also holds the South Asian record in the 100m and 200m Freestyle events.

Abeysinghe with all of his South Asian Games medals

Abeysinghe’s first time representing Sri Lanka was at 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. There he broke the national record in the 400m Freestyle, previously held by Julian Bolling and became the youngest male swimmer to be selected to the national team. Later on that year, he competed at the 2010 FINA World Swimming Championships in Dubai. In 2011, Abeysinghe represented Sri Lanka three times; at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, the 2011 Youth Commonwealth Games, in the Isle of Man, making it to the finals of the 400m Freestyle, and Asian Age Group Swimming Championships, where he won the silver medal in 100m Freestyle. In 2012 Abeysinghe competed at the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. The next year, Abeysinghe competed at the 2013 Asian Youth Games, where he won the bronze medal in the 100m Freestyle, becoming the first Sri Lankan to win a medal at an Asian Games event.

Abeysinghe at the 2013 Youth Asian Games

In 2014, at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, Abeysinghe competed in the 100m Freestyle. After setting a national record in prelims, he advanced to the Semi-Final, where he raced amongst the likes of future Olympians; Duncan Scott and Kyle Chalmers.

Abeysinghe competing at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games

Later on, he represented Sri Lanka at the 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships in Doha, Qatar. He also competed in the 2014 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Seoul, Korea. In 2015, Abeysinghe competed at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia. Early on in 2016, Abeysinghe was struggling to reach the Olympic qualifying time in the 100m freestyle. Finally, in Hong Kong, Abeysinghe was able to achieve the “B” qualifying time, becoming the first and only Sri Lankan swimmer, and one of few athletes, to achieve this feat up to that point (his younger brother Kyle, managed to surpass this mark later on). Abeysinghe competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, alongside fellow swimming star, Kimiko Raheem. He competed in the 100m Freestyle, with a time of 50.96, slower than he had previously swum in Hong Kong. He placed third in his heat.

Abeysinghe competing in the 2016 Olympic Games

In early 2017, Abeysinghe moved to the US to attend The Ohio State University. There he resumed training, after a prolonged leg injury in late 2016.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Abeysinghe was apart of the 4x100 Freestyle relay for Sri Lanka. Alongside him was his younger brother Kyle, Akalanka Pieris and Cherantha De Silva. Together, they became the first Sri Lankan team to make finals at the Commonwealth Games. Unfortunately, due to an early start by De Silva, they were disqualified. At the Games, he also competed in the 50m and 100m Freestyle, qualifying for the semi-final in the latter. There he competed against the likes of Cameron McEvoy, Chad Le Clos, and Benjamin Proud. He also became the first Sri Lankan to break the “50 second” barrier.

Abeysinghe at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Later on that year, he competed at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Again, he was apart of the 4x100m Freestyle relay team alongside his brother Kyle, Akalanka Pieris and Cherantha De Silva. He also competed in the 50m and 100m Freestyle events, qualifying for the Semifinal in both. A serious medal contender in the 100m Freestyle, Abeysinghe was unable to stand atop the podium, placing 5th.

Matthew Abeysinghe is from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was a student of Asian International School Colombo, subsequently moving to the US for higher education and training at The Ohio State University. For a majority of his career he was coached by his father Manoj Abeysinghe, at the Killer Whale Aquatic Club, the winningest club in Sri Lanka. [8] His family is well known for their swimming prowess in the sporting community of Sri Lanka. He has four brothers, one elder and two younger, all of whom are swimmers. His elder brother, Andrew Abeysinghe, is a former national champion, national record holder, and multiple South Asian Games gold medalist. Dillon Abeysinghe, his younger brother, is a former national champion, national record holder, and South Asian Aquatic Championship medalist. His youngest brother, Kyle Abeysinghe, is a two-time silver medalist at the Youth Commonwealth Games, one of few Sri Lankan athletes, and only swimmer, to ever achieve such a feat. At the South Asian Games level he is a gold medalist and South Asian Games record holder. At the domestic level he is also a national record holder and national champion. Their father, Manoj Abeysinghe, is considered one of the greatest coaches in Sri Lankan swimming, producing numerous international medalists, national record holders, and national champions. Since its inception in 2010, under Manoj Abeysinghe’s guidance, Killer Whale Aquatics has produced the most members of the Sri Lankan national team and won the most national championships, for both men and women. Together, Abeysinghe and his three brothers hold a national record in the 4x50 Medley Relay.

• Winner Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year for sports in 2016.[9]
• Winner Most Outstanding Sportsman of the Year 2016 -Presidential Sports Award[10]

• List of Sri Lankans by sport