Martha Matsa Explained

Martha Matsa
Fullname:Martha Matsa
Strokes:Freestyle
Club:HAN Thessaloniki
Birth Date:5 April 1987
Birth Place:Thessaloniki, Greece
Height:1.840NaN0
Weight:700NaN0
Show-Medals:yes

Martha Matsa (Μάρθα Μάτσα; born April 5, 1987) is a Greek swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle events.[1] She is a two-time Olympian (2004 and 2008), and a member of the swimming team for HAN Thessaloniki.

When her nation Greece hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Matsa made her Olympic debut as a 17-year-old, competing in two swimming events. She posted a FINA B-standard of 25.61 (50 m freestyle) from an Olympic test event at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre.[2] On the first day of the Games, Matsa teamed up with Nery Mantey Niangkouara, Eleni Kosti, and Zoi Dimoschaki in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. She held liable for an early relay takeoff, when the Greeks had been disqualified from the heats.[3] [4] Nearly a week later, in the 50 m freestyle, Matsa placed thirty-third on the morning prelims. Swimming in heat seven, she edged out Trinidad and Tobago's Sharntelle McLean to pick up a seventh spot by four-tenths of a second (0.40) in 26.46.[5] [6]

Matsa swam only in the 50 m freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She achieved a FINA B-standard of 25.67 from the Greece National Open Championships in Tripoli.[7] She challenged seven other swimmers in heat nine, including Slovakia's top favorite and five-time Olympian Martina Moravcová. She raced again to seventh place in 25.68, just a slimmest margin off her entry time, and 0.03 of a second behind Ukraine's Oksana Serikova. Matsa failed to advance into the semifinals, as she matched her overall position from Athens in the prelims.[8]

Matsa was also selected as a reserve for the Greek squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, but did not compete in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Her Greek teammates Niangkouara, Theodora Drakou, Theodora Giareni, and teen sensation Kristel Vourna failed to reach the top 8 final, finishing only in sixteenth place with a time of 3:45.55.[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Martha Matsa. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418100455/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/martha-matsa-1.html. dead. 18 April 2020. 1 December 2012.
  2. Web site: Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 7). PDF. Athens 2004. Omega Timing. 19 April 2013.
  3. Web site: Women's 4×100m Freestyle Heat 2. Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 14 August 2004. 31 January 2013.
  4. News: Thomas . Stephen . Women's 400 Freestyle Relay Prelims: Aussie Women Qualify Fastest Ahead of Team USA; Germans and Dutch in the Mix . . 14 August 2004 . 26 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131228223339/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7787.asp . 28 December 2013 .
  5. Web site: Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 7. Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 20 August 2004. 31 January 2013.
  6. News: Thomas . Stephen . Women's 50 Freestyle, Prelims Day 7: Inky Sizzles in World Best 24.66, Joyce Next in PR 25.06, Jenny Thompson Makes It Too . . 20 August 2004 . 19 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120204111631/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7915.asp . 4 February 2012 .
  7. Web site: Olympic Cut Sheet – Women's 50m Freestyle. PDF. 44. Swimming World Magazine. 10 April 2013.
  8. Web site: Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 9 . . . 5 December 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120821062506/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc%3DSWW010900/index.html . 21 August 2012 .
  9. News: Greek athletes compete today in London. Greek Reporter. 28 July 2012. 28 May 2013.