In 2018, Van Mathias, a teenager from Beaverton, Oregon, made a memorable splash by competing for the first, and so far only, time on the U.S. junior national team at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Fiji. Fast forward to today, Mathias has debuted with the U.S. senior national team at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.
Within these eight years, Mathias underwent significant changes in his swimming career. He swam for Indiana University across five seasons, briefly retired, then took the role of director of operations for the Hoosiers swim and dive program. After two years, he emerged from retirement, transitioning from focusing on butterfly and individual medley to becoming the fastest sprint breaststroker in American history.
At the current Pan Pacific Championships, Mathias raced with a national team cap displaying both his last name and the American flag, a mark of his new status on the senior national team. Reflecting on his journey, Mathias said, “You grow up watching swimming, watching all the biggest stars in the sport, and they always have their last name on the cap.”
Mathias placed 41st and 48th in two butterfly events at the Tokyo Olympic Trials and had previously ranked 25th at the NCAA Championships before his last Indiana University season in 2022-23. He changed focus to breaststroke before the 2023 Big Ten Championships and performed well, placing second in the 100-yard breaststroke at the NCAAs.
However, after achieving these results, Mathias considered retiring. “For now calling it done,” he told SwimSwam. Despite this, a year later, after coaching a high school team in Oregon, Mathias returned to Bloomington as the swim program’s operations director.
“Van would intermittently do something fast, and we’d be like, ‘Hmm, that’s pretty good,’” said Long, an associate head coach.
In 2025, Mathias returned to competitive swimming at the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis. During this time, discussions with coaches led to the idea of Mathias focusing on the 50m breaststroke, newly included in the 2028 Olympics.
Within months, Mathias posted some of the fastest American times in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, breaking national records. As he competed in Austin in January 2026, he noted the shift in his approach, adopting a high-intensity, less-volume training similar to Australian Cam McEvoy.
Balancing his job with his swim training is challenging. Mathias sometimes manages only a 45-minute workout, often interrupted by job demands. “There’s been times where I’ve been at my desk in my Speedo, still dripping wet,” he said, emphasizing the juggling act between his roles.
His responsibilities as director include arranging travel, coordinating events, and ensuring team logistics run smoothly. An example of his commitment came on March 15, when he managed sudden changes in travel plans for the NCAA Women’s Championships, requiring quick and decisive action.
This week, Mathias competes in the 50m fly, 100m breast, 50m breast, and 50m freestyle events at the Pan Pacific Championships.
Reflecting on the possibility of the Olympics, he commented, “I’m trying to ignore it. But… eventually we’ll get there.”