GB swimming stars31 taking the plunge
Young couple to marry days after Olympics
TWO young swimmers hope to be the golden couple at the Paris Olympics before the main event of their wedding just days later.
Team GB sweethearts Emily Large, 23, and Matt Richards, 21, will walk down the aisle this summer after years of training together.
The couple, who swim more than 100km a week between them, will tie the knot on August 22 – 11 days after the 2024 Olympics in the City of Love.
Emily covers 55km (34 miles) a week in training while Matt, who became an Olympic champion aged 18 in Tokyo in the 4x200m relay, does around 50km (31 miles).
He could swim for five gold medals this summer but faces competition from Tom Dean and Duncan Scott in next month’s British trials.
Emily will be trying to qualify for her first Games in the 200m butterfly.
Emily, from Newcastle, said: “Matt does eight sessions a week, I do nine, so that is where the extra 5km comes from for me.
“That comes down over the next few weeks as we both compete in the British trials in April. Last year, we visited Reims near Paris and it was gorgeous, a really nice city with great training facilities for the British team.”
Matt, part of Millfield swim squad in Somerset with Emily, said Olympic stars will be at the Hereford wedding, with his dad Simon, 49, as best man.
He added: “It will be great. There are 100 guests invited, with a cohort of Team GB swimmers and athletes.
“My priority now is to try and get an individual swim in 100m and 200m freestyle. I am going to try in the 50m freestyle as well.
“There will be the relays, too. In a perfect world, I would like to be as busy as possible in Paris to win as many medals as possible.”
Emily’s parents Jenny, 54, and Andy, 60, and sister Sophia, 25, will be travelling to Paris along with Matt’s dad Simon and mum Amanda, 52.
During lockdown, Matt trained for Tokyo 2020 in a paddling pool in his parents’ garden in Droitwich, Worcs, as his local leisure centre was closed.
He had a harness on his back, which was attached to the garage.
But he joked: “I am not doing that any more. It is too cold.”
I’d like to be as busy as possible to win as many medals as possible
MATT RICHARDS ON HIS HOPES AT THE OLYMPICS