Van Mathias: The Rise of an American Sprint Breaststroker

In 2018, Van Mathias, a young swimmer from Beaverton, Oregon, competed for the U.S. junior national team at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Fiji. This marked the beginning of his journey in competitive swimming at an international level. Today, Mathias debuts on the U.S. senior national team at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.

During the intervening years, Mathias experienced a rollercoaster of events. He swam five seasons at Indiana University before retiring from competition. He became the director of operations for the Hoosiers’ swim and dive program, only to return to the pool with a new focus. Previously a butterfly and individual medley swimmer, Mathias transformed into the fastest sprint breaststroker in U.S. history.

At the current Pan Pacific Championships, Mathias sports a national team swim cap, emblazoned with his last name and the American flag. Such personalization is reserved for senior national team members, making this moment a significant milestone for him.

“You grow up watching swimming,” Mathias said. “Seeing stars with their names on their caps, especially at big meets like the Olympics, is inspirational.”

Mathias had results of 41st and 48th in butterfly events at the Tokyo Olympic Trials. His best NCAA finish was 25th as he entered his final season at Indiana in 2022-23. He transitioned to breaststroke at the 2023 Big Ten Championships, where he found immediate success, finishing second in the 100-yard breaststroke at the NCAAs. Despite this, he initially retired, saying he was ending on a high note.

A year later, Mathias returned to Oregon and coached a high school team until his former coach at Indiana, Ray Looze, encouraged him to apply for the director of operations role. Mathias returned to Bloomington without a regular swimming routine, but with family support, he took up weightlifting. His physique transformed from 200 pounds to 235.

Curiosity led Mathias back to the pool. Occasionally swimming with associate head coaches John Long, Jr. and Cory Chitwood, Mathias showed impressive speed despite limited training.

In 2025, Mathias attended the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis to support IU swimmers. Conversations about U.S. men’s breaststroke led coaches to suggest Mathias experiment with the 50m breaststroke, newly added to the 2028 Olympic program.

Within weeks, Mathias recorded official swim times, becoming the fastest American in the 50m breaststroke that year. By 2026, he set American records in both the 50m and 100m breaststrokes.

His success may stem from diverse factors. Mathias’ background hinted at potential in breaststroke. His weightlifting may have provided a foundational advantage. Adopting high-intensity, low-volume training like Australian Cam McEvoy might have contributed too. McEvoy set a 50m freestyle world record at 31, swimming 2,000 to 5,000 yards like typical sprinters. In contrast, Mathias swam 1,000 to 1,500 yards per session, influenced by his job constraints.

Being a director of operations means managing travel, feeding the team, coordinating visits, and stocking gear, all requiring substantial focus. Mathias once had to urgently rebook NCAA Championship travel after lightning canceled original plans, demonstrating crisis management skills.

This week, Mathias competes in several events, aiming for personal bests rather than specific medals. Reflecting on whether the Olympics are attainable, he acknowledges encouragement from others but emphasizes focusing day by day.

Summer McIntosh joins the Pan Pacific Championships race every day from Wednesday to Saturday, available live on Peacock and NBCSN.