9 December 2008
13-year-old Matthew Johnson has been presented with the Junior Boy title at the Yorkshire Sports Awards to top off yet another triumphant year.
Matt is the most successful age group swimmer in British history. Following on from a record nine gold medals at the British Age Group Championships in 2007 and 8 in 2006, he surpassed himself again just when it was supposed to get even harder – winning a record ten out of ten individual golds and taking his tally to 26 national titles within three years.
During 2008’s gruelling four-day event in Sheffield in July he broke a further seven British age group records – adding to the five he broke earlier in the year: this totalling twelve British records in five months, which is in itself a record, with his first being gained at 12 years old.
Matt won both the senior (open age) and junior Yorkshire titles for the 400m individual medley. In the Yorkshire Age Group Championships, Matt remains unbeaten with a 100% record for the third year running, winning all available titles in both long and short course competitions.
BBC Yorkshire Sports Awards 2008 [BBC Look North]