Van Mathias Clocks 26.39 To Lower Nic Fink’s 50 Breast American Record, Now #8 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)
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Van Mathias set the first American record of his career this morning, lowering Nic Fink’s mark of 26.45 in the 50 breast with a 26.39 swim in prelims at the 2026 Bergen Swim Festival.

That sliced 0.18 seconds off Mathias’ previous best of 26.57, swum at the Pro Swim Series in January. It was his third PB in breaststroke at this meet, after lowering his 100 breaststroke best in both heats and finals on Friday to clock 58.19, the #2 swim by an American in history.

Mathias has been on an absolute tear in breaststroke since returning to racing at the Indy Cup Time Trials last June. He had stepped away from racing after wrapping up his NCAA career with silver in the 100 breast at the 2023 NCAA Championships, taking on the position of Director of (dr)Ops at Indiana

However, after U.S. nationals last June the training staff at Indiana believed he had the opportunity to make his mark at the national level. That was justified when he clocked a massive lifetime best of 26.76 at U.S. summer nationals in the 50 breast, the fastest swim by a U.S. man within the Pan Pacs qualifying window.

That saw him make the team for the championships in Irvine this summer. Although he made that team by virtue of the 50 breast, he will have the opportunity to enter multiple events so we will likely see him in the 100 breast and 50 fly as well, both of which he has swum PBs in this week.

His swim this morning led the field by 1.25 seconds, with fellow Indiana alum Finn Brooks 2nd in 27.64. Mathias has won the 100 breast and 50 fly so far, clocking lifetime bests of 58.19 and 22.99 respectively.

Mathias moves up to take over top spot in the world rankings this season, overtaking the 26.51 that Simone Cerasuolo swam at the Italian Championships last night. World record holder Adam Peaty is 3rd with the 26.64 he swam at the Aquatics GB Championships on Wednesday.

Mathias leapfrogs Michael Andrew (26.52) and Nic Fink (26.45) in the U.S. rankings, and now owns the fastest swim by a U.S. man in the last two years by over half a second. Campbell McKean (26.90) and Andrew (26.92) took the top two spots at U.S. Nationals last June.

Among swimmers who will likely be swimming at the Pan Pacific Championships this summer, Mathias now ranks second behind Australia’s 2024 world champion Sam Williamson (26.32). However, Williamson is still on the comeback trail after suffering a serious knee injury last summer, and has only been 27.08 so far this season.

Mathias moves up to become the 8th-fastest man in history. He sits 0.42 seconds away from Adam Peaty’s world record of 25.95 with finals still to come tonight.

Men’s 50 Breast, All-Time Top Ten

1. Adam Peaty (GBR) – 25.95, 2017 World Championships
2. Qin Haiyang (CHN) – 26.20, 2023 World Championships
3. Ludovico Viberti (ITA) – 26.27, 2025 Sette Colli
4. Ilya Shymanovich (BLR) – 26.28, 2023 Belarus Championships
5. Sam Williamson (AUS) – 26.32, 2024 World Championships
6. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA)/Felipe Lima (BRA) – 26.33, 2022 European Championships/2019 Mare Nostrum
7. –
8. Van Mathias (USA) – 26.39, 2026 Bergen Swim Festival
9. Simone Cerasuolo (ITA)/Joao Gomes Junior (BRA) – 26.42, 2025 World Championships/2019 Maria Lenk Trophy