Van Mathias Blasts 58.19 in 100 Breaststroke; Moves Up to #2 American All-Time

2026 Bergen Swim Festival

• Friday, April 17th – Sunday, April 19th
• Prelims at 9:00am local (3:00am ET)/Finals at 6pm local (Noon ET)
• Bergen, Norway
• Alexander Dale Oen (AdO) Arena, Bergen (50m Olympic pool)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview
• Entries
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Day 1 Finals Recap

The 2026 Bergen Swim Festival kicked off in Norway on Friday and American Van Mathias blasted a monster 58.19 to win the event and come within five one hundredths off the American Record

Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019
• European Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019

GOLD – Van Mathias (USA) — 58.19
SILVER – Brian Benzing (USA) — 1:00.25
BRONZE – Luke Barr (USA) — 1:00.32

Mathias led an American top-four, but came in as the only swimmer in the event under 1:00. His time of 58.19 took eight tenths off the 58.98 best time he swam in the event prelims, which was half-a-second faster than his previous best of 59.45 from January.

Coming into this year, Mathias had a lifetime best of 59.74 from August of 2025. This time last year, Mathias had not swum the race since June of 2022, where he went 1:05.07. His best stood at 1:03.48 from the Junior Pan Pacs in August of 2018.

This swim is the top time in the world this year, half-a-second ahead of Japan’s Shin Ohashi, who swam 58.67 in March.

He will also become the 2nd fastest American in history, touching only five hundredths off Michael Andrew‘s 2021 American Record time of 58.14.

Top 5 Americans All-Time

1. Michael Andrew — 58.14 (2021)
2. Van Mathias — 58.19 (2026)
3. Nic Fink — 58.36 (2023)
4. Kevin Cordes — 58.64 (2017)
5. Andrew Wilson — 58.74 (2021)

He will also become the 5th fastest performer in history, behind Adam Peaty, Qin Haiyang, Arno Kamminga, and Andrew.

Top 10 Performers All-Time

1. Adam Peaty (GBR) — 56.88 (2019)
2. Qin Haiyang (CHN) — 57.69 (2023)
3. Arno Kamminga (NED) — 57.80 (2021)
4. Michael Andrew (USA) — 58.14 (2021)
5. Van Mathias (USA) — 58.19 (2026)
6. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) — 58.26 (2022)
7. Ilya Shymanovich (BLR) — 58.29 (2019)
8. Nic Fink (USA) — 58.36 (2023)
9. Cameron van der Burgh (RSA)/James Wilby (GBR) — 58.46 (2012/2019)

Mathias, who trains at Indiana, only recently made the transition to breaststroke after he swam butterfly through most of his career. In his senior year, he switched to sprint freestyle and breaststroke and picked up a silver medal in the 100 breaststroke in 2025 before considering retirement after his graduation.

In June, Mathias and the Indiana staff saw the breaststroke results at the U.S. Trials and thought Mathias could compete with the swimmers at the top, so he stepped back into training. Eight weeks later, he qualified for the Pan Pacific Championship with his 26.76 in the 50 breaststroke.

At Pan Pacs, swimmers are eligible to race anything, even if they did not technically qualify in that event, which means that Mathias will be able to race the 100 breaststroke in Irvine.

Mathias’ swim also has major implications for the American men’s medley relays that have been weak on the breaststroke legs in recent years.

He currently works as the Director of Operations for the Indiana University Swim Team.