WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Matheo Mateos is an incoming graduate transfer for Purdue men's swimming & diving, but before he races for the Boilermakers he's set to compete in the 200-meter individual medley for Paraguay at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Mateos is joining Purdue after winning Summit League and Great Lakes Valley Conference titles at Lindenwood University in St. Louis. For Paraguay, he has also competed at multiple World Aquatics Championships and Pan American Games. He won his conference titles in the IM events and also has international experience in the mid-distance freestyle.
A native of Asuncion, Paraguay, Mateos earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Lindenwood and will be pursing an MBA at Purdue.
Mateos' lifetime best in the 200m IM is 2:03.31, originally set at a TYR Pro Swim Series meet in San Antonio in the spring of 2022 and a time he matched at the Brazilian Nationals in Rio de Janeiro in May. He also posted a mark of 2:03.34 at the South American Games in Paraguay in the fall of 2022, winning bronze in the 400m IM at the same meet.
Lindenwood transitioned from Division II to Division I status midway through his college career. He swept the IM events at the 2024 Summit League Championships held at the University of Minnesota's Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, setting a conference record (1:45.58) in the 200-yard IM. He also won bronze in the 200 back.
Mateos was a two-time GLVC champion in the 200 IM as an underclassman at Lindenwood, earning DII All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. He won bronze at NCAAs in the 200 IM in 2021 and placed fourth the following year. He was also a CSCAA Scholastic All-American.
Jinq En Phee (breaststroke for Malaysia in 2016) was the last incoming Purdue swimmer to compete at the Olympic games before enrolling in West Lafayette. Gerald Koh (backstroke for Singapore in 1996) was the last men's swimmer to do it.
Mateos' lifetime bests in the 200- and 400-yard IM (1:45.58, 3:48.84) would both rank among Purdue's all-time top 10 in the events.
Mateos is joining Purdue after winning Summit League and Great Lakes Valley Conference titles at Lindenwood University in St. Louis. For Paraguay, he has also competed at multiple World Aquatics Championships and Pan American Games. He won his conference titles in the IM events and also has international experience in the mid-distance freestyle.
A native of Asuncion, Paraguay, Mateos earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Lindenwood and will be pursing an MBA at Purdue.
Mateos' lifetime best in the 200m IM is 2:03.31, originally set at a TYR Pro Swim Series meet in San Antonio in the spring of 2022 and a time he matched at the Brazilian Nationals in Rio de Janeiro in May. He also posted a mark of 2:03.34 at the South American Games in Paraguay in the fall of 2022, winning bronze in the 400m IM at the same meet.
Lindenwood transitioned from Division II to Division I status midway through his college career. He swept the IM events at the 2024 Summit League Championships held at the University of Minnesota's Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, setting a conference record (1:45.58) in the 200-yard IM. He also won bronze in the 200 back.
Mateos was a two-time GLVC champion in the 200 IM as an underclassman at Lindenwood, earning DII All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. He won bronze at NCAAs in the 200 IM in 2021 and placed fourth the following year. He was also a CSCAA Scholastic All-American.
Jinq En Phee (breaststroke for Malaysia in 2016) was the last incoming Purdue swimmer to compete at the Olympic games before enrolling in West Lafayette. Gerald Koh (backstroke for Singapore in 1996) was the last men's swimmer to do it.
Mateos' lifetime bests in the 200- and 400-yard IM (1:45.58, 3:48.84) would both rank among Purdue's all-time top 10 in the events.