5 Male Swimmers Staring at Breakout Summers: How Low Can Van Mathias Go in Breaststroke Events?
Will any world records fall at the upcoming Commonwealth Games? What about the European Championships, or the Pan Pacific Championships? The year’s premier competitions are just around the corner, and swift performances are anticipated around the globe. It will be surprising if a handful of world records do not fall, such is the speed that has already been seen this year.
As these various regional championships unfold, we’ll also have an opportunity to track the progress of rising stars, including a handful of teenagers and a late-blooming breaststroker who has generated promise on the American scene. Below, Swimming World takes a glance at five male athletes who are positioned for breakout summers, or who can maintain the momentum they have already generated on the way to the next championship meet.
Yumeki Kojima – Japan
The Japanese cupboard is stashed full of promising talent, including breaststroke star Shin Ohashi and Tatsuya Murasa, one of the world’s premier performers in the 200 freestyle. An argument can be made, however, that Yumeki Kojima might be the brightest hope from The Land of the Rising Sun, as his 2026 campaign has already produced world junior records in the 200 individual medley (1:56.53) and 400 IM (4:08.84).
Japan’s depth is stellar in the medley disciplines, where Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto set the bar high for future generations. Consequently, Kojima will have to routinely battle at the national level to earn invitations to international competitions, and he seems up to the task. In addition to his medley exploits, Kojima has been 1:55.62 in the 200 backstroke. While Kojima will first battle at Pan Pacs, he’ll chase the podium at the Asian Games in September, with that meet set for home soil in Tokyo.
Egor Kornev – Russia
At last month’s Russian Championships, Egor Kornev significantly elevated his stock in the sprint-freestyle events by moving into the top six performers in history in the 50 free and 100 free. A 21.06 clocking in the 50 distance propelled Kornev to No. 5 all-time, while his 46.96 outing in the 100 freestyle has him sitting sixth all-time in that event.
Kornev will race at next month’s European Championships in Paris as an Independent Neutral Athlete, since European Aquatics has not cleared Russia to compete as a recognized nation. Riding the momentum he generated at the Russian Nationals, Kornev is expected to challenge the 21-second threshold in the 50 freestyle, a feat accomplished by only three individuals. More, look for the 22-year-old to tangle with Romanian star David Popovici in the 100 freestyle.
Johannes Liebmann – Germany
A young distance ace, Johannes Liebmann has already made an impact on the global scene, thanks to his European record in the 800 freestyle earlier this year. While competing at the Swim Open Stockholm in April, Liebmann clocked in at 7:37.94, an effort that took .18 off the previous record of countryman Sven Schwarz. That Euro standard is likely just the start for the 19-year-old.
Liebmann, who trains with the high-powered distance corps in Magdeburg, has also shined in the 400 freestyle and 1500 freestyle and will be in the medal chase at next month’s European Championships in Paris. In the French capital, look for Liebmann to challenge his continental standard in the 800 freestyle, along with his personal bests of 3:44.59 in the 400 free and 14:39.67 in the 1500 freestyle.
Van Mathias – United States
Over the past year, the United States has found its next elite breaststroker in Van Mathias, someone who can not only deliver in individual events, but also provide reliability in the medley relay. Training at Indiana University, a breaststroke hotbed, Mathias is now the American-record holder in the 50 breaststroke (26.30) and 100 breaststroke (58.01). He’s also flashed his sprint talent in the 50 freestyle (21.62) and 50 butterfly (22.87).
Mathias is staring at a major opportunity at the upcoming Pan Pacific Championships, where he’ll try to become just the fourth athlete in history to break the 58-second barrier in the 100 breaststroke. More, he’ll be favored in the 50 breaststroke, where he currently ranks as the No. 5 performer in history. While Mathias has emerged as a breakthrough athlete already, he is on pace for greater prominence next month.
Sean Niewold – Netherlands
A 2024 Dutch Olympian, Sean Niewold has enjoyed a major surge over the past two years, with his best performances likely ahead. Training at the University of Alabama, Niewold recently set a pair of Netherlands records, thanks to times of 22.69 in the 50 butterfly and 21.56 in the 50 freestyle. For good measure, Niewold became the third Dutch swimmer to break 48 seconds in the 100 freestyle when he went 47.97.
At the European Championships, Niewold should find himself in podium contention in the 50 butterfly, an event that will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. He currently ranks third in the world in the 50 fly and with Niewold finding a training program that clicks, look for his improvement arc to continue.