Diogo Matos Ribeiro (; born 27 October 2004) is a Portuguese competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle and butterfly events. He represents S.L. Benfica at the club level.
Ribeiro rose to prominence in Portuguese and world swimming after winning three gold medals and establishing a new junior world record in the long course 50-metre butterfly event at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru. The following year, competing in his first senior-level World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, he claimed a silver medal in the 50 metres butterfly with a national record time to become the first Portuguese swimmer to win a World Championship medal. Ribeiro's biggest achievement came at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, where he won the 50-metre and 100-metre butterfly events and secured the first World Championship gold medals for Portuguese swimming at senior level.
Career In his hometown of Coimbra, he was a swimmer for the Beatriz Santos Foundation (FBS), the Clube Náutico Académico (CNAC) and União 1919. Diogo Ribeiro joined Lisbon-based S.L. Benfica in October 2021, renewing in 2022, in a contract that included the current Olympic cycle and the next one.
Ribeiro won the gold medal in the 50-metre butterfly event at the 2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Lima, Peru with a Championships and Portuguese record time of 22.96 seconds, which was 0.09 seconds faster than the former world junior record of 23.05 seconds set by Andrey Minakov of Russia in 2020.FINA (3 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 50m Butterfly Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 3 September 2022.Dornan, Ben (3 September 2022). "Diogo Ribeiro Becomes First Junior Under 23 With 22.96 50 Fly World Junior Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 3 September 2022.Rieder, David (3 September 2022). "World Junior Championships: Diogo Matos Ribeiro Takes Down 50 Fly World Junior Record For Third Gold Medal". Swimming World. Retrieved 3 September 2022.Almeida, Isaura (4 September 2022). "Diogo Ribeiro. Novo título mundial e com recorde do mundo júnior" (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. Retrieved 4 September 2022.Calaveiras, Carlos (4 September 2022). "Histórico. Diogo Ribeiro conquista terceira medalha de ouro no Mundial júnior" (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. Retrieved 4 September 2022. He also won the gold medal in the 100-metre butterfly, with a time of 52.03 seconds, and the gold medal in the 50-metre freestyle, with a time of 21.92 seconds.FINA (1 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 100m Butterfly Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 3 September 2022.FINA (2 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 3 September 2022.Neto, Virgilio Franceschi (5 September 2022). "Mundial Júnior de Natação: português Diogo Ribeiro conquista três ouros e recorde mundial; Brasil leva cinco medalhas" (in Portuguese). Olympics.com. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, he won the silver medal in the 50-metre butterfly event, thus becoming the first ever Portuguese medalist in senior world championships. He set a new Portuguese record with a time of 22.80 seconds.
Diogo Ribeiro became world champion in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, repeating the title he won five days earlier in the 50-meter butterfly event.
Achievements
Results in international championships + Long course (50-metre pool) Meet50 freestyle100 freestyle50 butterfly100 butterfly4×100 medley EJC 2021 11th 5th 6th MG 2022 5th 9th 5th EC 2022 11th 9th 8th WJC 2022 1st (h) WC 2023 13th 10th 13th 16th WC 2024 18th 11th 10th Ribeiro withdrew after qualifying for the semifinal.
+ Short course (25-metre pool) Meet100 freestyle50 butterfly100 butterfly4×50 medley EC 2023 7th 9th 9th 5th
Personal best times + Long course (50-metre pool) Event Time Meet Location Date Notes Ref 50 m freestyle 21.87 2023 Portuguese National Championships Funchal, Portugal 30 March 2023 NR (h) 100 m freestyle 47.98 2023 Portuguese National Championships Funchal, Portugal 31 March 2023 NR 200 m freestyle 1:48.98 2023 Portuguese National Club Championships Oeiras, Portugal 7 April 2023 400 m freestyle 4:06.88 2022 Portuguese National Club Championships Oeiras, Portugal 9 April 2022 50 m backstroke 27.00 "Rumo a Tóquio 2021" Meet Coimbra, Portugal 27 March 2021 100 m backstroke 59.54 13th Coimbra Meet Coimbra, Portugal 24 April 2021 200 m backstroke 2:21.03 3rd Latvian Junior and Youth Championship Riga, Latvia 4 May 2019 50 m breaststroke 31.73 13th Coimbra Meet Coimbra, Portugal 24 April 2021 50 m butterfly 22.80 2023 World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka, Japan 24 July 2023 NR 100 m butterfly 51.17 2024 World Aquatics Championships Doha, Qatar 17 February 2024 NR 200 m butterfly 2:08.38 2019 Portuguese Junior National Championships Coimbra, Portugal 4 April 2019 200 m individual medley 2:11.46 "Rumo a Tóquio 2021" Meet Coimbra, Portugal 28 March 2021 400 m individual medley 4:48.79 2019 Portuguese Junior National Championships Coimbra, Portugal 5 April 2019 4×100 m freestyle relay 3:20.92 2023 Portuguese National Club Championships Oeiras, Portugal 6 April 2023 NR 4×200 m freestyle relay 7:38.79 2023 Portuguese National Club Championships Oeiras, Portugal 7 April 2023 4×100 m medley relay 3:35.63 2023 World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka, Japan 30 July 2023 NR (h)
+ Short course (25-metre pool) Event Time Meet Location Date Notes Ref 50 m freestyle 21.87 8th International Algarve Meeting Albufeira, Portugal 13 November 2022 100 m freestyle 46.61 2023 European Short Course Championships Otopeni, Romania 10 December 2023 NR 50 m backstroke 27.08 Vale do Sousa Open Felgueiras, Portugal 28 April 2019 50 m butterfly 22.71 2023 European Short Course Championships Otopeni, Romania 8 December 2023 NR 100 m butterfly 51.00 2023 Portuguese National Club Championships Felgueiras, Portugal 22 December 2023 NR 200 m butterfly 2:06.17 Vale do Sousa Open Felgueiras, Portugal 27 April 2019 200 m individual medley 2:09.69 Vale do Sousa Open Felgueiras, Portugal 28 April 2019 4×50 m freestyle relay 1:40.36 Vale do Sousa Open Felgueiras, Portugal 27 April 2019 4×50 m medley relay 1:33.82 2023 European Short Course Championships Otopeni, Romania 6 December 2023
Records Below are listed Ribeiro's sanctioned record times obtained at world, continental and other relevant international competitions. + Long course (50-metre pool) No. Event Time Meet Location Date Type Status Ref 1 50 m butterfly 23.38 2022 Mediterranean Games Oran, Algeria 1 July 2022 CR Current 2 50 m butterfly 22.96 2022 World Junior Championships Lima, Peru 3 September 2022 WJR, CR Current
Personal life Diogo Ribeiro lost his father when he was 4 years old and got into the habit, in his own words, "of talking to him a lot at night." When he was 16, he had a motorbike accident in Coimbra that left him with a broken index finger, part of which he lost, and excruciating pain all over his body. Before he made a full recovery, he spent a week in hospital and a month in bed at home. Then he started physiotherapy, but for a while he still had to use a wheelchair when he went to the toilet.
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