TOKYO – Evan Austin completed his journey from world champion to Paralympic Games champion, emerging victorious in a hotly contested race via an American-record time to win gold for Team USA in the 50-meter butterfly (S7).
Austin was the top finisher in the prelims (29.71) and final (28.98) of the event, but it took a time drop of .73 hundredths of a second in the final to out touch Ukraine's Andrii Trusov (29.03) by .05 hundredths to claim the gold medal. He established an American record while eclipsing 29 seconds in the final.
Competing at his third Paralympics, Austin won his first medal Sunday by taking bronze in the 400-meter freestyle (S7). It was another thrilling race to the wall that saw him out touch the fourth-place finisher by .04 hundredths. Austin also placed fifth in the 200-meter IM (SM7) in his first event in Tokyo.
"A lot people might feel pressure. I actually felt the opposite. I felt some freedom," Austin said. "Being a world champion, even if it's just for that day, that's the title that sticks with you. And so, on a day that I was asked to be the best in the world, I had already done that. All this stuff now is a bonus. Paralympic champion is obviously something I wanted but I just came in with the mindset that we'll see what happens. I was just excited to get the opportunity to race. I knew I was going to be in the fight, and I was going to really have a shot at being a Paralympic champion."
Over the course of this year, Austin enjoyed significant time drops while competing on multiple marquee stages. He won the 50 fly in 30.07 at the Para World Series in April and then went 29.57 at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in June. In the process, he managed to drop a full second (1.09) in a 50-meter event from April (30.07) through September (28.98), with both races being part of international showcases. As it turned out, the full second improvement was exactly what Austin needed to achieve his goal of winning gold in Tokyo.
"Just to fight the good fight, that the process to get to where I am right now, literally champion just a couple minutes ago," Austin said. "That's taken over a decade of really tough, dedicated, thorough work, day in and day out with a lot of ups and a tremendous amount of downs as well."
Austin is a Terre Haute native and Indiana State alumnus. He was born with spastic paraplegia. The U.S. Paralympic Swimming Team selected him as one of its three captains for this edition of the Paralympic Games.
PURDUE'S RESULTS AT 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES
• Evan Austin, 50m Fly – 1st in Prelims, 29.71; Gold Medalist in Final, 28.98
• Joel Gomez, 1,500 Meters – 10th in Final, 4:02.41 (Finals Only Event)
• Evan Austin, 4x100m Free Relay (34 Points) – 8th in Final, 4:13.94
• Evan Austin, 400m Free (S7) – 5th of 9 in Prelims, 4:57.35; Bronze Medalist in Final, 4:38.95
• Makayla Nietzel, 400m Free (S13) – 7th of 13 in Prelims, 4:48.15; 7th in Final, 4:47.45
• Evan Austin, 200m IM (SM7) – 4th of 11 in Prelims, 2:35.40; 5th in Final, 2:32.53
• Makayla Nietzel, 100m Fly (S13) – 4th of 18 in Prelims, 1:07.21; 7th in Final, 1:08.00
...Nietzel and Gomez are freshmen at Purdue University
Austin was the top finisher in the prelims (29.71) and final (28.98) of the event, but it took a time drop of .73 hundredths of a second in the final to out touch Ukraine's Andrii Trusov (29.03) by .05 hundredths to claim the gold medal. He established an American record while eclipsing 29 seconds in the final.
Competing at his third Paralympics, Austin won his first medal Sunday by taking bronze in the 400-meter freestyle (S7). It was another thrilling race to the wall that saw him out touch the fourth-place finisher by .04 hundredths. Austin also placed fifth in the 200-meter IM (SM7) in his first event in Tokyo.
"A lot people might feel pressure. I actually felt the opposite. I felt some freedom," Austin said. "Being a world champion, even if it's just for that day, that's the title that sticks with you. And so, on a day that I was asked to be the best in the world, I had already done that. All this stuff now is a bonus. Paralympic champion is obviously something I wanted but I just came in with the mindset that we'll see what happens. I was just excited to get the opportunity to race. I knew I was going to be in the fight, and I was going to really have a shot at being a Paralympic champion."
Two years ago in London, Austin enjoyed his breakthrough moment with a victory in the 50 fly at the World Para Swimming Championships, winning with a time of 29.71. He began training at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center that fall, later accepting an opportunity to serve as an assistant coach with Purdue women's swimming. John Klinge has served as his coach after the partnership first came to fruition thanks to a mutual connection with former assistant coach Molly Belk.A splash-and-dash GOLD for @E_A_swim! 🥇#TokyoParalympics x @TeamUSA x @USParaSwimming pic.twitter.com/yqzYWTw3yP
— #TokyoParalympics (@NBCOlympics) September 4, 2021
Over the course of this year, Austin enjoyed significant time drops while competing on multiple marquee stages. He won the 50 fly in 30.07 at the Para World Series in April and then went 29.57 at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in June. In the process, he managed to drop a full second (1.09) in a 50-meter event from April (30.07) through September (28.98), with both races being part of international showcases. As it turned out, the full second improvement was exactly what Austin needed to achieve his goal of winning gold in Tokyo.
"Just to fight the good fight, that the process to get to where I am right now, literally champion just a couple minutes ago," Austin said. "That's taken over a decade of really tough, dedicated, thorough work, day in and day out with a lot of ups and a tremendous amount of downs as well."
Austin is a Terre Haute native and Indiana State alumnus. He was born with spastic paraplegia. The U.S. Paralympic Swimming Team selected him as one of its three captains for this edition of the Paralympic Games.
PURDUE'S RESULTS AT 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES
• Evan Austin, 50m Fly – 1st in Prelims, 29.71; Gold Medalist in Final, 28.98
• Joel Gomez, 1,500 Meters – 10th in Final, 4:02.41 (Finals Only Event)
• Evan Austin, 4x100m Free Relay (34 Points) – 8th in Final, 4:13.94
• Evan Austin, 400m Free (S7) – 5th of 9 in Prelims, 4:57.35; Bronze Medalist in Final, 4:38.95
• Makayla Nietzel, 400m Free (S13) – 7th of 13 in Prelims, 4:48.15; 7th in Final, 4:47.45
• Evan Austin, 200m IM (SM7) – 4th of 11 in Prelims, 2:35.40; 5th in Final, 2:32.53
• Makayla Nietzel, 100m Fly (S13) – 4th of 18 in Prelims, 1:07.21; 7th in Final, 1:08.00
...Nietzel and Gomez are freshmen at Purdue University
What a finish by Evan Austin who seals victory right at the last second!#ParaSwimming #Tokyo2020 #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/8EgrekbN2F
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) September 3, 2021
ONE FLY GUY! @E_A_swim is now the owner of some 🥇 bling. #TokyoParalympics pic.twitter.com/EdcqHCevAk
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) September 3, 2021
The world champ is now a PARALYMPIC CHAMPION! @E_A_swim grabs his first career 🥇 in the men's 50m butterfly S7 with a time of 28.98. #TokyoParalympics x #ShowTheWorld pic.twitter.com/h08Mf9DLIV
— U.S. Paralympics Swimming (@USParaSwimming) September 3, 2021
Unfazed. pic.twitter.com/ddDjXZ1bRy
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) September 3, 2021
FIRED UP! @E_A_swim takes the GOLD in the 50m butterfly S7. 🥇#TokyoParalympics pic.twitter.com/0QaqlPEB52
— #TokyoParalympics (@NBCOlympics) September 3, 2021