Van Mathias, a 17-year-old from Beaverton, Oregon, swam for the United States junior national team back in 2018 during the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Fiji. Today, Mathias is making his senior national team debut at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.
In the years since his junior debut, Mathias swam five seasons for Indiana University, retired from competitive swimming, and became the director of operations for the Hoosiers swim and dive program. After a two-year retirement, he returned to swimming, shifting from butterfly and individual medley events to become the fastest sprint breaststroker in American history.
At these Pan Pacific Championships, Mathias will race for the first time wearing a national team swim cap that has both the American flag and his last name. In 2018, he wore a cap with just the flag. He recognizes this as a milestone, often dreaming of having his name displayed at major competitions like the Olympics.
During previous competitions, Mathias wasn’t near the top in butterfly events at the Tokyo Olympic Trials and finished 25th individually at the NCAA Championships. Before the 2023 Big Ten Championships, he switched to breaststroke and placed second in the 100-yard event at the NCAAs. Despite his success, Mathias initially planned to retire.
After coaching in Oregon, Mathias returned to Indiana as the director of operations. During his absence from swimming, he focused on weightlifting with help from family who were former bodybuilders. As a result, he increased his weight from 200 to 235 pounds. Being close to the pool reignited his curiosity in swimming, leading him to participate in occasional workouts.
His former coaches noticed his potential and suggested training for the newly added 50m breaststroke event in the Olympics. Mathias responded by clocking impressive times despite minimal training.
In 2025, within months of returning to the sport, he recorded the fastest 50m breaststroke time by an American that year. By 2026, Mathias had broken American records in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.
Beyond swimming, Mathias manages responsibilities as a swim team operations director. This position involves travel coordination, team logistics, and problem-solving under pressure, as illustrated by his response to a canceled flight for the NCAA Women’s Championships. Amid these duties, Mathias juggles his swimming pursuits.
This week, he competes in multiple events, with a focus on personal bests rather than medals. About the Olympics, Mathias seeks to remain grounded and focused on daily progress.
Summer McIntosh will also compete every day during the championships, broadcast live on Peacock and NBCSN.
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