Mathias meets moment for gold in 100m breaststroke
Van Mathias had a massive swim for the men's 100m breaststroke title at the Pan Pacific Championships, setting a Championship Record at 58.02 seconds and just missing his own American Record by a hundredth of a second.
Video Transcript
Rowdy van Mathias Ah What a story.
He's 25, director of ops at Indiana So he's still helping recruit athletes.
The mustache plays- Oh and then he tries to beat maybe those recruits in the pool in practice.
And, and the mustache is picking up pace.
Those are fake.
His is real.
Trust me.
He loves it.
I tell you, I mean, going into LA might be the best story that we have going into those games, knowing the history of what he's been through.
At 25 years of age, picks up kickboards at the pool.
I mean, he's just He is the fastest swimmer in the world.
Take your marks.
And, you know, the times I've talked to him, I talked to him, well, a couple months ago, and he's just so engaging, so humble.
He, he realizes the gift he has.
So incredibly strong.
I talked to his coach, Ray Looze, and he said, "This guy is an animal in the weight room, and has the speed."
58.01, Jason, is his best time.
Could he get under?
Like a lot of sprinters now, Rowdy, more weights, less in the water- Yeah and it's leading to faster times.
Mathias ahead by four-tenths of the halfway point.
Holy smokes, 26.8 going out.
26.8.
He is right on that American record pace.
Now, Ohashi can't come home.
You do not wanna sleep on the Japanese swimmer right up below him, and he is right there with him.
But look at van Mathias.
Look at van Mathias.
The American charging here, trying to hold off the teen sensation from Japan.
Mathias to the wall.
Oh.
Championship record for Mathias, and a hundredth off his own American record, but another massive swim for Mathias.
Wow.
I thought he was under.
Oh, my gosh, I thought everything pointed being under.
Yeah, let's go.
Let's go.
Can you imagine, yeah, 40,000 people in SoFi with mustaches?
I think all of America will be growing mustaches when we get to LA.
Oh.
I, I just, I love this kid, man.
He's a kid to me, 25.
Here's the start right there in the middle.
Very good off the blocks.
Everything is perfect there, .67, right there with the guys at the top.
Great undulation, great explosion, and then he just hits that wall.
That turn, that breast pull-out right there is the fastest moment of the race, and he takes advantage of that.
He hits both walls, but boy, I'm so, he's so close.
There's the 15-meter mark.
Stay with it right there.
You thought, "Oh, he's got a chance.
He's got a chance."
And Jason, almost.
Lost in the shadows, Ohashi.
World junior record there for the 17-year-old from Japan, but Mathias, mustache mania- running wild in Irvine.
The American brings home an international medal here, gold in the hundred breast on home waters.
Van, gold and silver medal last night, and a world record.
A gold medal tonight.
What have you learned about yourself over the last two nights of racing?
Yeah, just, home crowd, getting me home.
Team USA, first international meet.
I mean, it means so much to me.
It shows in the pool.
Not too shabby for your first international meet.
I gotta ask you, who was the first person you called after that world record last night?
I don't know.
I kinda went right to bed.
It was a late night, but I got a lot of texts in the morning, and a lot of gratitude for those people staying up and watching.
You make a good point.
It is a late night, and you came back today and threw down like this.
How do you prepare for that mentally, physically, emotionally?
Yeah, just reset.
To make sure I'm taking care of my body, taking care of my mind, and the rest is history.
Amazing.
Congratulations.
Irvine, California, can you make some noise for van Mathias?
