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
Evan Austin
Paralympic Games to Feature 4 Team USA Members with Purdue Ties
Purdue will be represented in Paris again as a quartet of constituents with ties to the University represent Team USA at the Paralympic Games, the premier international showcase for adaptive sports.
Big Time Drop Helps Austin Win Paralympic Gold in 50 Fly
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 Wins Bronze in 400 Free at Paralympics
Evan Austin won his first career medal at the Paralympic Games in thrilling fashion, out touching the fourth-place finisher by .04 hundredths of a second to claim bronze in the 400-meter freestyle (S7) Sunday.
Paralympian Evan Austin Shares His Kinship & Gratitude for Purdue
Three-time Paralympian Evan Austin is ready to race at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Austin and his connections to Purdue swimming & diving were featured as part of NBC's coverage of the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in June. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee shared the video feature with Purdue Athletics for use here at PurdueSports.com and on social media.
Paralympics to Feature 4 Team USA Members with Prominent Purdue Connections
Purdue University will be represented in Tokyo again as four Boilermakers will be on site for Team USA at the Paralympic Games, the premier international showcase for adaptive sports.
Austin Now a 3-Time Paralympian After 3 Wins at Trials
Already a top candidate to represent Team USA at the Paralympic Games, Purdue women's swimming assistant coach Evan Austin officially clinched his trip to Tokyo and third Paralympic bid with three event victories at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials.
Meitz, Austin Ready to Race as Trials Continue
Purdue swimming alumna Kaersten Meitz and volunteer assistant coach Evan Austin are up next as qualification continues with trials for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Boilermakers Set for Wave I of U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Six Purdue swimmers are slated to race this weekend on the grand stage of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which has been split into two Waves of competition due to the unique circumstances of this year.
Paralympian & Purdue Assistant Coach Evan Austin at Team USA Media Summit
Two-time Paralympian and Purdue women's swimming assistant coach Evan Austin was featured in Team USA's media summit to preview the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer in Tokyo.
Student-Athletes Team Up to Aid Adaptive Sports via RIISE
They lived on the same floor in Third Street Suites as freshmen, but it was a shared academic interest as biomedical engineering majors and the Wheel Rise event at Holloway Gymnasium in September 2019 that really brought Purdue student-athletes Léony Boudreau and Kelsey Macaddino together.