Day 1 Finals Wrap World Para Champs

ROWAN Crothers (pictured) triumphed in the 50m freestyle S10 while Tom Gallagher (silver) and Callum Simpson (bronze) also stood on the podium as Australia claimed three medals on the opening day of the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.

Crothers, who had been navigating a back injury for the past six-weeks, successfully defended his world title in an Oceania record time of 23.21 and held off reigning Paralympic champion Gallagher (23.46).

For both Dolphins, tonight’s podium marked their first international medals under a new club. Crothers made the move from Brisbane to South Australia’s Marion Swimming Club to continue training with coach Kate Irvine, and Gallagher became the first para swimmer to join Dean Boxall’s St Peters program after his Paris win.

Alex Tuckfield (24.40) placed fifth overall in the sprint final as Ukraine’s Ihor Nimchenko claimed bronze (23.58).

At his Dolphins debut in Paris, Simpson placed sixth overall in the men’s 400m freestyle S8 Paralympic final. Tonight, at his first-ever world championships, Simpson claimed bronze in an Oceania record time of 4:25.76, lowering the previous mark of 4:27.17, which Simpson posted in heats.

Paralympic champion Alberto Amodeo (ITA) took the 400m freestyle S8 world title in a championship record time of 4:23.27, followed by Neutral Athlete Andrei Nikolaev in second (4:24.06).

“It was a tough race and I’m glad to have put it together the way I did. Leading into Worlds, I’ve pushed myself that extra bit further because I wasn’t happy with my times in Paris,” Simpson said.

“To come away with an outcome like that, I couldn’t be more proud of myself. It’s given me a heap of confidence … knowing I have this endurance, which gives me reassurance for my 100m race in a few days time.”

Rookie Declan Budd finished sixth overall (1:56.64) in the men’s 200m freestyle S14 and was stoked he got a front row seat to the world record swim of 1:51.08 set by champion William Ellard (GBR).

“It’s just amazing to be here at World Champs, to be in the Australian team and to make it into a final, I’m really happy about that. Plus, to swim against the world record holder (Will Ellard) and Jack (Ireland), that was just awesome,” Budd said.

“Jack is someone that I looked up to growing up and now we’re team together and racing it’s so cool. Hopefully, one day we can get on the podium together.”

Ireland posted a season best time of 1:54.30 in what was his only event for the meet but just fell short of the 200m freestyle medals. Canada’s Nicholas Bennett edged out the UQ swimmer in the final 50m to win bronze (1:53.97) and Brazil’s Gabriel Bandeira placed second (1:52.03).

In other results:

• Twenty-five years on and Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games gold medallist Jose Castorena Velez (MEX) claimed his seventh world championships title in the men’s 50m breaststroke SB2 tonight. Australia’s Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson placed fourth overall (1:04.66) behind Castorena Velez in first (57.41), Bosnia’s Ismail Barlov (58.55) and Neutral Athlete Igor Bobyrev (1:02.13) in second and third respectively.

Full results here: https://www.paralympic.org/swimming/live-results#

Day 2 Dolphins Program:

• Men’s 150m Individual Medley SM3: Ahmed Kelly, Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson
• Women’s 400m Freestyle S7: Chloe Osborn
• Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM10: Col Pearse, Alex Saffy
• Women’s 200m Individual Medley SM10: Poppy Wilson (straight final)
• Men’s 100m Backstroke S14: Ben Hance, Declan Budd
• Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM9: Tim Hodge

The 2025 World Para Swimming Championships from 21-27 September will be available to watch in Australia via Paralympics YouTube live stream. Heats start 9am, finals from 5.30pm local time.

Understanding Para Swimming Classifications:

1.      Physical Impairment (S1-10 / SB1-9 / SM1-10)

2.      Visual Impairment (S11-S13 / SB11-SB13 / SM11-SM13)

3.      Intellectual Impairment (S14 / SB14 / SM14)

S = Freestyle/Backstroke/Butterfly, SB = Breaststroke, SM = Individual Medley.

Note: The lower the number in both physical and visually impaired groups, the greater degree of impairment.