Matthew Centrowitz Jr. is a professional middle-distance runner who won the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics gold medal. He is also representing the US in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
However, he is a two-time Olympian and competed in the 2012 London Summer Olympics as well but failed to garner any medals then. Hence, this will be his third Olympic appearance.
Besides that, the athlete runs specifically in the 1500m event. Likewise, the runner competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to defend his Olympic gold at the 1500m event.
Recently, there has been a lot of chatter surrounding Matthew’s age as he is entering his 30s.
However, many experts claim that a runner’s prime ar in his mid-20s momentarily filled Centrowitz with doubts.
Nevertheless, the gold medalist proves the naysayers wrong by qualifying for the Olympics consecutively for the third time. Moreover, he credits consistency as one of the main reasons for his success.
Matthew has won a gold medal at the 2016 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Furthermore, he has won bronze and silver medals at the 2011 and 2013 World Athletics Championships, respectively.
Even before turning pro, he won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships held in São Paulo, Brazil.
Before getting into details about the gold medalist’s life and career, here are some quick facts about him.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Matthew Centrowitz Jr. |
| Birth Date | October 18, 1989 |
| Birth Place | Beltsville, Maryland, the United States |
| Nick Name | Not Available |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Education | University of Oregon |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Father’s Name | Matt Centrowitz |
| Mother’s Name | Beverly Bannister Centrowitz |
| Siblings | Two; Lauren Centrowitz and Marissa Centrowitz |
| Age | 34 |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Weight | 133 lb (60 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Middle Distance Runner, Olympian |
| Current Club | Bowerman Track Club |
| Coach | Jerry Schumacher |
| Active Years | 2011 – Present |
| Sport | Track and Field |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Ex-Girlfriend | Shelby Houlihan |
| Kids | None |
| Net Worth | $1 to $5 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merchandise | Like Father, Like Son (Book) |
| Last Updated | April, 2024 |
Matthew Centrowitz Jr. | Early Life, Family, And Education
Matthew Centrowitz Jr. was born in Beltsville, Maryland, the United States. His parents are Matt Centrowitz and Beverly Bannister Centrowitz.
The athlete’s father is also a renowned runner and two-time Olympian. Matt competed in the 1500m race at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Moreover, he was also selected to participate in the 1980 Summer Olympics but did not compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott.
Besides that, Matt Sr. is a long-distance runner who has won four gold medals at the USA Outdoor Championships in the 5000m race. Likewise, he also won a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
After his career as an athlete, he became a track coach and worked at St. John’s University and American University. Furthermore, Matt was the Cross Country and Track and Field Director at Manhattan College.
However, he recently stepped down from that position and was succeeded by his colleague Kerri Gallagher.
Similarly, Matthew’s mother, Beverly, is also a track and field athlete who competed for four years with Hunter College and Cross-country teams.
She was quite successful in her career, won 10 CUNYAC titles, and was a two-time New York State ½ mile champion. Not to mention, Beverly was Hunter’s first national class women’s runner.
Hence, it is safe for us to say that running is in Matthew Centrowitz’s blood. He was encouraged and coached by his parents from a young age.
Education
The gold medalist attended high school at Broadneck High School. He ran track there and was well-known for his speed.
After his high school graduation, Matthew attended the same college his father went to, i.e., the University of Oregon. He ran for the Oregon Ducks and had a pretty successful collegiate career.
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Matthew Centrowitz Jr. | Age, Height, and Weight
The Olympic gold medalist is 34 years old as of April, 2024. Being a professional runner, he takes excellent care of his health and diet.
Likewise, Matthew is very consistent regarding his workout and training. As a result, the Algerian runner is quite fit and has a toned physique.
Besides that, the two-time Olympian is 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) tall and weighs 133 lb (60 kg).
Matthew Centrowitz Jr. | Running and Olympics Career
High School and Collegiate Career
At Broadneck High School, he ran at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, where he completed the second half of the race faster than the first half and won the competition.
Moreover, his technique was well praised, and experts considered it one of the best races in prep history. Likewise, at Penn Relays, the three-time Olympian set a meet record.
Furthermore, as a high schooler, he won the Pan American Junior Championships. Thereafter, he ran for the Oregon Ducks, where he broke the NCAA 4 x mile record with his teammates.
Similarly, he was victorious at the NCAA Men’s Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships’ 1500m race. Not to mention, he won the Pac-10’s 1500 four times by 2011.
Professional Career
Early Career and First Olympics
Finally, he decided to turn pro at the end of November 2011 and became a Nike athlete shortly after. Moreover, Matthew participated in the Nike Oregon Project, where Alberto Salazar trained him.
His first season as a pro athlete was one of his best seasons. In 2011, Centrowitz won NCAA Championship, the national championship, and earned a bronze medal at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics.
Besides that, the runner qualified for the 2012 London Olympics. However, he failed to secure a bronze medal by .04 seconds and finished in fourth place.
Furthermore, his 2013 season was a bit better than in 2012. He won the 800m race at the Seattle UW Indoor Preview, finished second at the Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile, and first at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix mile.
Likewise, the athlete won the 2013 USATF Outdoor 1500m championship and got selected to run at the IAAF World Championships. Again, he made it to the finals, where he was awarded a silver medal.
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First Olympic Gold Medal and Qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
In 2016, he had an outstanding indoor season where he won gold at the World Indoor Championships. Shortly after that, he qualified for his second consecutive Olympic appearance.
In the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, he won his first gold medal in the 1500m race. Moreover, Matthew was the first American since 1908 to win gold in that category.
Recently, in 2021, the Oregon runner qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He is well determined to win another gold in the 1500m race in his third Olympic appearance.
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Matthew Centrowitz Jr. | Girlfriend, Wife, and Kids
The runner is not married but did have a girlfriend. He dated Shelby Houlihan, who is also a middle-distance runner.
She was recently banned from competing after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug (PEDs), Nandrolone. However, she denied ever using the androgen and anabolic steroids and said that eating pork might have resulted in the positive test.
Nevertheless, she has appealed the ban, but it prevented her from participating in Olympic trials. Shelby said,
“I feel completely devastated, lost, broken, angry, confused, and betrayed by the very sport that I’ve loved and poured myself into just to see how good I was.”
Moreover, she added,
“I want to be very clear. I have never taken any performance-enhancing substances. And that includes that of which I am being accused.”
Furthermore, Houlihan is a one-time Olympian who competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. However, she failed to win any medals by finishing in 11th place but was the highest-placing American in that category.
Besides that, she has won a gold medal at the 8th NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics and a silver at the 2018 IAAF Continental Cup.
Defending Shelby
Although Houlihan and Centrowitz are not together, he supported and defended his ex-girlfriend when asked about her positive result. He claimed that he knew her and believed that she did not take any PEDs.
The Olympic gold medalist even confirmed her pork story and said they often visited a food truck where they ate carne asada burritos regularly.
Moreover, Matthew shared that he and a teammate’s test showed contaminated meat after eating the burrito the night before. Likewise, he added that while you know some people very well, you might not always know how they are on their own.
But the three-time Olympian claimed that he lived with Shelby and had knowledge of everything she was eating and doing. So, the runner knew that she had no fishy business going on.
He said, “But with Shelby, I was there 24/7. I know what she was putting in her body. I know the vitamins that she was taking.”
Dating
Since Shelby, Centrowitz has not been romantically linked with anyone else. Instead, he is focusing solely on winning at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
However, he is very private when it comes to his personal life. So, the Olympian might be secretly dating someone without our knowledge.
He rarely puts his personal life in the spotlight. Besides that, Matthew has given his undivided attention to running and training and hence does not have much time for his dating life.
Matthew Centrowitz Jr. | Net Worth And Salary
The athlete earns most of his wealth through his professional career as a runner.
Although his exact net worth estimation is unknown, many sources estimate it between $1 million and $5 million.
Likewise, he does not have a fixed salary, and his income mostly depends on the magnitude of the races he runs. Besides that, Centrowitz earns a fair amount through endorsement deals and sponsorships.
In 2012, popular athletic brand Nike signed a multi-year endorsement contract with him. The Olympic gold medalist expressed that he was very proud and excited to be a Nike athlete.
Likewise, Matthew was also a part of the Nike Oregon Project. Furthermore, he owns a beautiful house and has multiple cars.
Matthew Centrowitz Jr. | Social Media Presence
Centrowitz is quite active on social media platforms. Hence, the runner has an Instagram account with 103 thousand followers.
As said before, the athlete is relatively private, so he mostly shares his professional career through his handle. However, he has posted many pictures of him running in different competitions.
Likewise, the gold medalist has shown off his toned physique and legs in many pictures. However, in almost all of his photos, he is in his running attire.
Besides that, he is pictured with Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, a world record holder. Moreover, Kipchoge is known as the “greatest marathoner of the modern era.”
Similarly, Matthew also has photos with four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Mo Farah and Olympian Will Claye. Furthermore, he is active on Twitter with 41 thousand followers.
The athlete mostly shares running-related events, highlights, and news through his Twitter handle. Many well-known athletes and celebrities follow him.
Matthew Centrowitz Jr. | FAQs
Are Matthew Centrowitz and Shelby Houlihan dating?
The two recently called it quits. However, they used to date and were together for a long time before going their ways.
What is the name of Matt Centrowitz’s book?
The book by Matt Centrowitz Sr. is called “Like Father, Like Son: My Story on Running, Coaching and Parenting.”
