# Matthew Wearn > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_Wearn > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_Wearn.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Wearn > Source revision: 1309413900 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Australian sailor (born 1995) Matthew Wearn OAM Wearn at the 2024 Summer Olympics Personal information Nickname 'Wearny' 'Wearn Dawg' Nationality Australian Born (1995-09-30) 30 September 1995 (age 30) Perth, Western Australia, Australia[1] Sailing career Sport Sailing Club Royal Perth Yacht Club Fremantle Sailing Club Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club Class(es) ILCA 7, Etchells, ILCA 6 **Matthew Wearn** [OAM](/source/Medal_of_the_Order_of_Australia) (born 30 September 1995) is an Australian competitive sailor. He won gold at the [2020 Summer Olympics](/source/2020_Summer_Olympics) and the [2024 Summer Olympics](/source/2024_Summer_Olympics) in the men's [Laser class](/source/Laser_(dinghy)).[2] Wearn has been sailing since he was five years old. He chose the sport over a possible career in [Australian Rules](/source/Australian_rules_football) football. He was inspired by [Beijing Olympic](/source/Beijing_Olympic_2008) champions [Elise Rechichi](/source/Elise_Rechichi) and [Tessa Parkinson](/source/Tessa_Parkinson) who came to his local sailing club in Perth to show young sailors the gold medals they had won in the [470 class](/source/470_class).[3] ## Career Gold medalist Wearn (right boat) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Wearn won silver medals at the [Laser World Championships](/source/Laser_World_Championships) in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He [qualified](/source/Sailing_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Qualification) to represent Australia at the [2020 Summer Olympics](/source/2020_Summer_Olympics) in Tokyo 2021, winning the gold medal in [Laser event](/source/Sailing_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Laser). In the [2022 Australia Day Honours](/source/2022_Australia_Day_Honours) Wearn was awarded the [Medal of the Order of Australia](/source/Order_of_Australia).[4] In 2023, awarded Male Able-Athlete of the Year at the [AIS Sport Performance Awards](/source/Australian_Institute_of_Sport_Awards).[5] In August 2024, Wearn defended his Olympic title in the Laser class.[6] In 2024, awarded Male Able-Athlete of the Year at the [AIS Sport Performance Awards](/source/Australian_Institute_of_Sport_Awards).[7] Wearn is a three-time winner of the [Australian Sailing Male Sailor of the Year Award](/source/Australian_Yachtsman_of_the_Year) (2018, 2023 and 2024)[8] and in 2024 was inducted into the [Australian Sailing Hall of Fame](/source/Australian_Sailing_Hall_of_Fame).[9] ## Personal life As a 15-year-old, Matt was invited to train with the Western Australian under-15 Australian rules football team, but due to sailing commitments, he had to turn this opportunity down. In 2023, he married Belgian sailor [Emma Plasschaert](/source/Emma_Plasschaert).[10] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Matt Wearn"](https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/matt-wearn/). *Olympics.com.au*. [Australian Olympic Committee](/source/Australian_Olympic_Committee). Retrieved 27 July 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Matt Wearn becomes first back-to-back Olympic champion in men's dinghy"](https://www.smh.com.au/sport/matt-wearn-becomes-first-back-to-back-olympic-champion-in-men-s-dinghy-20240806-p5k063.html). *The Sydney Morning Herald*. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Matt Wearn"](https://www.australiansailingteam.com.au/matt-wearn/). *AustralianSailingTeam.com.au*. Retrieved 25 August 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Australia Day Honours List"](https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-01/ad22_gazette_-_o_of_a.pdf) (PDF). *The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia*. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Commission, Australian Sports Commission; jurisdiction=Commonwealth of Australia; corporateName=Australian Sports. ["Swimming makes a big splash at AIS Performance Awards"](https://www.ais.gov.au/media-centre/news/swimming-makes-a-big-splash-at-ais-performance-awards). *Australian Sports Commission*. Retrieved 29 November 2023.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Rogers, Samantha (7 August 2024). ["Marvellous Matt! WA's Wearn claims back-to-back gold"](https://thewest.com.au/sport/olympics/olympic-games-2024-west-australian-sailing-star-matt-wearn-claims-back-to-back-gold-in-mens-dinghy--c-15626721). *The West Australian*. Retrieved 7 August 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Commission, Australian Sports Commission; jurisdiction=Commonwealth of Australia; corporateName=Australian Sports. ["Parker's remarkable Paris performance celebrated at AIS Awards"](https://www.ais.gov.au/media-centre/news/parkers-remarkable-paris-performance-celebrated-at-ais-awards). *Australian Sports Commission*. Retrieved 4 December 2024.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Male Sailor of the Year"](https://www.sailing.org.au/national-honour-board/male-sailor-of-the-year/). [Australian Sailing](/source/Australian_Sailing). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Matt Wearn OAM"](https://www.sailing.org.au/hall-of-fame/matt-wearn-oam). [Australian Sailing](/source/Australian_Sailing). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Pengilly, Adam (5 July 2024). ["'It was taken away from me': The Olympic champion who spent a year battling long COVID"](https://www.smh.com.au/sport/sailing/it-was-taken-away-from-me-the-olympic-champion-who-spent-a-year-battling-long-covid-20240705-p5jrcl.html). *The Sydney Morning Herald*. Retrieved 7 August 2024. ## External links - [Matt Wearn](https://www.australiansailingteam.com.au/matt-wearn/) at [Australian Sailing](/source/Australian_Sailing) - [Matt Wearn](https://web.archive.org/web/20241130/https://www.sailing.org/sailor/matt-wearn?ref=AUSMW34) at [World Sailing](/source/World_Sailing) (archived, [alternate link](https://web.archive.org/web/20241130/https://www.sailing.org/sailor/?ref=AUSMW34)) - [Matt Wearn](https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/matt-wearn/) at the [Australian Olympic Committee](/source/Australian_Olympic_Committee) - [Matt Wearn](https://olympics.com/en/athletes/matt-wearn) at [Olympics.com](/source/International_Olympic_Committee) v t e Olympic champions in Laser 1996: Robert Scheidt (BRA) 2000: Ben Ainslie (GBR) 2004: Robert Scheidt (BRA) 2008: Paul Goodison (GBR) 2012: Tom Slingsby (AUS) 2016: Tom Burton (AUS) 2020: Matthew Wearn (AUS) 2024: Matthew Wearn (AUS) This biographical article related to sailing in Australia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Australia-sailing-bio-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AAustralia-sailing-bio-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Australia-sailing-bio-stub) This article about an Australian Olympic medalist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Australia-Olympic-medalist-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AAustralia-Olympic-medalist-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Australia-Olympic-medalist-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matthew Wearn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Wearn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Wearn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.