PREVIEW: Swimmers Chase Flying Start To Paris 2024 Campaign

Nearly a third of Australia’s 30-member swimming team will make their Paralympic Games debut at the Paris Games, but what they lack in experience they more than account for in potential.

The hotly anticipated 2024 Paralympic swimming meet starts at La Défense Arena on August 29 with several Australians expected to feature in finals as early as the first night of competition.

Among them is three-time Paralympic gold medallist Brenden Hall, who will contest a record-equalling fifth Paralympic Games and has been selected as the flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony alongside athletics star Madison de Rozario.

Also in action on the opening day is Lakeisha Patterson (S9), seeking her third-consecutive 400m freestyle gold medal, and Rowan Crothers, the S10 50m freestyle defending Paralympic and world champion.

A flying start would give the Dolphins great confidence as they try to build on their Tokyo 2020 campaign haul of eight gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze medals.

Jack Ireland (S14), Alex Saffy (S10), Alexa Leary (S9) and Poppy Wilson (S10) have all earned a place on the senior team since Tokyo, while Lewis Bishop (S9), Chloe Osborn (S7), Callum Simpson (S8) and Holly Warn (S7) will each represent Australia for the first time on the biggest stage of all.

While a number of big names have retired since the 2020 Tokyo Games, such as Blake Cochrane, Matt Levy and Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian Ellie Cole, others have come to the fore in this Paralympic cycle. Tim Hodge will be a name to watch with a heavy racing schedule that includes the S9 400m freestyle, the SB9 100m breaststroke, the S9 100m backstroke, the S9 100m butterfly and his pet event the SM9 200m individual medley in which he’s the current world record holder.

Hodge has won gold in the SM9 200m individual medley at the last two world championships and will be looking to maintain that form and improve on his Paralympic silver medal in the event at the 2020 Games.

Another swimmer who has consistently performed well on the big stage since Tokyo 2020 is Ben Hance, who will defend his gold medal in the S14 100m backstroke, having held the No.1 world ranking at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships events. Hance has also worked hard at his S14 100m butterfly, in which he won bronze at Tokyo and the 2023 World Championships.

The men’s S10 100m freestyle is set to be one to set the alarm for on September 1, with Crothers, Tom Gallagher and Alex Saffy all in the mix. Crothers took the silver in Tokyo, just behind current world record holder Maksym Krypak of Ukraine, but won the gold medal at both the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. Gallagher has been nipping at Crothers’ toes though after taking the bronze at the 2023 World Championships and finishing just 0.45 seconds behind Crothers at the Australian Open Championships earlier this year. Gallagher beat Crothers in the 50m freestyle at that event.

The big name on everyone’s lips is Alexa Leary, whose story of survival after a severe cycling accident in 2021 has captured the attention of the nation, especially after she made her first senior Dolphins team in 2023 and blasted her way to a world championship gold medal in the S9 100m freestyle. Leary narrowly missing the world record in that event and won silver in the S9 50m freestyle.

Leary is in red hot form at the moment. Her pet event, the 100m, is on September 4, day seven of competition.

Swimming has a prized place in Australia’s Paralympic history. Australia has competed in swimming at every Paralympic Games since the first in Rome in 1960, winning 453 medals, including 136 gold.

Among the most successful Australians have been Matthew Cowdrey, Priya Cooper, Ellie Cole and Kingsley Bugarin.

Watch the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on the 9Network and 9Now live and free, and on Stan Sport from August 28 to September 8.

By: Jodie Hawkins

Published: 25 August 2024