Matthew's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Weightlifting
Event: Men's 109kg
Olympic History: Tokyo 2020
Highlights: Holding national record for combined Snatch (162kg) and Clean & Jerk (183kg) lifts in one hit out (345kg total).
Year Born: 1994
State Born: QLD
About Matthew
Matthew Lydement’s journey to the weightlifting arena has been characterised by hard work and capitalising on opportunities that have manifested throughout his comparatively short career.
The Brisbane native’s passion for weightlifting was first realised in 2014, where frequent injuries in an array of sports spanning cricket, rugby union and Australian Rules Football stalled progression and begun to sour other aspects of his life.
Tired of repeated disturbances brought on by injury, Lydement decided to cease his involvement in these games. However, his competitive nature kept him within the realm of sports, where he decided to test his ability in the strength-focused world.
With the newly-opened Brisbane Barbell Club placed near to Lydement, he was embraced by weightlifting coach and two-time Olympian Damon Kelly, and has never quite looked back.
Recent successes for Lydement include a 4th place finish at the 2019 Pacific Games, where he registered a 156kg Snatch lift, registered as the second-best of the whole competition, as well as a silver medal at the 2020 Australian Open, in which Lydement recorded a 161kg Snatch and 182kg in the Clean & Jerk to come one kilogram short of eventual victor Sanele Mao’s total.
What perhaps remains atop Lydement’s career accomplishments is his national record, and unofficial Oceania record, of a 162kg Snatch lift achieved in July 2022.
Matthew made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2021 Games, accompanied by his coach Damon Kelly. Performing in the men's 109kg event Lydement achieved a Snatch lift of 158kg, followed by a Clean & Jerk of 180kg. This would earn Matthew an overall placing of 12th overall in his debut games.
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