Paralympic Games: Australia’s World-Beating IMer Tim Hodge Aiming for Golden Splash in Paris

Australia’s world beating IM star Tim Hodge will begin his jam-packed 2024 Paralympic Games program in Paris on Friday – aiming to add the one thing that has eluded the 23-year-old Sydneysider – Paralympic gold.

Hodge is competing in his third Games after making his debut in Rio in 2016, followed by Tokyo 2020 where he claimed his first medals – silver in the S9 category 200m individual medley and 100m backstroke.

The multi-talented foot amputee, who lost his right foot at aged four due to a lower limb deficiency, will begin his campaign alongside five-time Olympian, gold medalist and Australian flag bearer Brenden Hall in the 400m freestyle on day one.

He will also race the 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly, as well as the 34 pt Mixed Medley Relay.

Hodge, coached by Misha Payne at the Australian Catholic University, Blacktown (NSW), is a two-time world champion in the 200IM in 2022 and 2023 who has re-written the  individual medley world record books on three occasions over the last three years.

A journey aimed solely at turning his Tokyo silver into Paris gold and emulating the feats of his hero, Australia’s greatest ever Paralympic champion – Matthew Cowdrey– a 20-time medalist – 13 of them gold and 10 of them in individual events.

Cowdrey dominated the pool in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012) where he won three consecutive 100m freestyle and 200IM crowns.

Hodge, from a working-class family in Sydney’s west, would love nothing  than to reward his family with a golden celebration in Paris – and he is on track to make that Paralympic dream come true.

There is also the incentive of cashing in on his success after Paralympics Australia welcomed the Australian Federal Government’s decision to provide financial rewards to Paralympians who win medals at the Paris 2024 Games. Gold medalists will be awarded $20,000: silver medalists $15,000 and bronze medalists $10,000. It brings Paralympians in line with Olympic medalists, whose reward payments are funded by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).

“I’m looking forward to Paris and feeling really, really good,” Hodge said from the Australian team camp this week.”I’ve got some high expectations for myself, namely personal bests in most of my races. I’ve worked really hard, improving from Trials, hopefully going to do a lot better in the pool and maybe, maybe another world record in the 200 IM (Individual Medley).”

“My coach Misha Payne and I have been working very hard and we’re happy with where I am in my preparation and I’m going into the competition feeling fairly relaxed and confident in myself and excited for Paris as well.

“I can’t wait for it to roll around and finally get the chance to dive into the pool but yeah, very, very confident in things ahead.”

Australian head coach Greg Towle has listed Hodge (S9), world record breaking world champion freestyler Alexa Leary (S9), defending 100m backstroke Paralympic champion Ben Hance (S14) alongside defending two-time Paralympic champions Lakeisha Patterson (S9) and wheelchair Rachael Watson (S4) as just some of the 30-strong Australian Dolphins outfit to watch.

DEFENDING  CHAMP: Ben Hance chasing back-to-back gold  Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan (Wade’s Photos)

Leary, who has captured the imagination of a sport-mad Australian nation, dives in for her Paralympic debut tomorrow (Thursday), as does another Tokyo gold medalist in Rowan Crothers in the S10 50m freestyle and Hance in the S14 100m butterfly.

Leary struck gold in the women’s 100m Freestyle S9 at last year’s Para World’s in Manchester, blitzing the field for the win in an incredible performance following two years of recovery from a life-threatening accident.

The never-say-die Gold Coast-based Sunshine Coaster who fought her way back to life from an induced coma after a near-death bike-riding training accident by the former champion triathlete.

Leary set her sights on making the Paris Paralympic swim team under astute coach Jon Bell – as she takes Australians along for her inspirational ride.

Leary revealing how she loved the whole experience in Manchester, saying: “I want the ‘big W’; the big win (in Paris) …and I could feel the athletes being with me and we all just had a lot of fun and we all supported each other; that was the biggest thing.

“Some of the others (really inspired me); the fact that (they) are in the water and (they) are swimming…. that was a big inspiration for me.”

Australian rookies to look out for include Queensland trio Callum Simpson (S8), Lewis Bishop (S9), Holly Warn (S7) and Hodge’s Blacktown club mate Chloe Osborn (S7).

The two youngest on the team are the Gold Coast’s Warn (St Hilda’s) who is 15 and Sunshine Coast’s  Simpson (Flinders Aquatic, Academy, QLD) who is 17.

Warn follows her grandfather Michael Morgan into sport’s hold grail – Morgan a two-time Olympic rower – who won silver in the Australian Men’s Eight in Mexico City in 1968, making the team again in Munich in 1972; taking over as Australian 8s coach for the 1976 team in Montreal.

ROOKIES: Newbies Chloe Osborn and Holly Warn out to impress in Paris. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan

Rackley Swimming is thrilled to welcome Paralympian Lewis Bishop into its Athlete Support Program.

Bishop is the latest inclusion in the Rackley Swim Team’s Athlete Support Program joining the likes of Olympians Tommy Neill and Sam Short – an initiative dedicated to supporting, developing, and empowering swimming talent across Southeast Queensland, with a focus on fostering success both in and out of the pool.

The program is part of Rackley’s ongoing commitment to nurturing talent and providing elite athletes with the resources they need to excel, with Director of Sporting Pathways and Rackley Swim Team Club President Anastasia Ellerby, saying: “We are honoured to welcome Lewis to our program. He embodies the values of perseverance and dedication.

Since its establishment in 2021, the Rackley Athlete Program has provided financial assistance, personal development mentoring, and meaningful work projects –  designed to complement training, equip athletes with a diverse set of skills and prepare them for success beyond the black line.

Bishop is amongst a third of Australia’s swim team who will make their Paralympic Games debut in Paris and Towle said Paris 2024 was only the start for the young team with a focus also on LA and Brisbane 2032.

Australia has had huge success in Paralympic swimming, from the first Games in 1960 in Rome, where the late Daphne Hilton won the country’s very first gold medal in the sport.

Australian swimmers have won 453 medals, including 136 gold, 160 silver and 157 bronze. We sit fifth on the all-time gold medal tally and third in total medals behind only Great Britain and the US.

In Tokyo, Australian swimmers brought home 33 medals, including eight gold, setting the tone for the wider Australian Paralympic Team.