Evan Austin began assisting with Purdue women's swimming & diving in the fall of 2019 and officially took on the volunteer assistant coach duties in time for the 2020-21 school year. He is a three-time Paralympian for USA Swimming, competing at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games -- London, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo.
The postponed 2020 Paralympic Games were worth the wait for Austin. As a tri-captain of the U.S. Paralympic Swim Team, he won his first two career medals at the international showcase. Austin captured gold in the 50-meter butterfly (S7) via an American record time of 28.98. A time drop of 0.73 hundredths of a second from the prelims to the final allowed him to win gold by 0.05 hundredths of a second. He also won bronze in the 400 freestyle (S7), finished fifth in the 200 IM (SM7) and raced as part of Team USA's 4x100 free relay.
Austin's versatility helps him excel in the butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle and IM events. His international breakthrough was a gold medal performance in the 50 fly at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in London. He is also a multi-time medalist at the CanAm Para Swimming Championships and Pan Pacific Championships.
On his way to qualifying for his third Paralympics, Austin swept the 50 fly, 200 IM and 400 free at the Para World Series in April and U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in June.
Austin earned a bachelor's degree in public communications from Indiana State and now trains at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center after a stint at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is a native of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Evan Austin Bio at TeamUSA.org / Evan Austin Bio at Paralympic.org
The postponed 2020 Paralympic Games were worth the wait for Austin. As a tri-captain of the U.S. Paralympic Swim Team, he won his first two career medals at the international showcase. Austin captured gold in the 50-meter butterfly (S7) via an American record time of 28.98. A time drop of 0.73 hundredths of a second from the prelims to the final allowed him to win gold by 0.05 hundredths of a second. He also won bronze in the 400 freestyle (S7), finished fifth in the 200 IM (SM7) and raced as part of Team USA's 4x100 free relay.
Austin's versatility helps him excel in the butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle and IM events. His international breakthrough was a gold medal performance in the 50 fly at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in London. He is also a multi-time medalist at the CanAm Para Swimming Championships and Pan Pacific Championships.
On his way to qualifying for his third Paralympics, Austin swept the 50 fly, 200 IM and 400 free at the Para World Series in April and U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in June.
Austin earned a bachelor's degree in public communications from Indiana State and now trains at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center after a stint at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is a native of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Evan Austin Bio at TeamUSA.org / Evan Austin Bio at Paralympic.org