Upper St. Clair’s Josh Matheny places 7th in 200-meter breaststroke finals at Paris Olympics

Michael Love
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 5:03 p.m. | Wednesday, July 31, 2024 5:03 p.m.

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AP

Josh Matheny, of the United States, competes in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France.

AP

Josh Matheny, of the United States, waves as he walks onto the pool deck for his men’s 200-meter breaststroke semifinal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nanterre, France.

Josh Matheny’s goal of winning an Olympic medal will have to wait.

The former Upper St. Clair swimming standout and member of men’s team at Indiana University placed seventh overall in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke final Wednesday afternoon with a time of 2 minutes, 9.52 seconds at Paris’ La Défense Arena’s Olympic swimming pool.

Matheny was the lone member of Team USA in the final. He was positioned in lane seven.

France’s Leon Marchand won gold with an Olympic-record time of 2:05.85.

Matheny punched his ticket to the finals by finishing sixth overall (fourth in his heat) with a time of 2:09.70 in the semifinals Tuesday.

His journey to the finals began by finishing fifth in Heat 3 of the prelims Tuesday morning. He clocked a time of 2:10.39.

Matheny, 21, earned a berth to the Olympics after he finished second at the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 20, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

He achieved a personal best in 200 breast — 2:08.32 — at the International Team Trials in June 2023, also in Indianapolis.