Para Stalwarts And Teenage Debutants Among Record 22 Queenslanders Off To Paris For 2024 Paralympic Games
Australia will send a team of 30 strong swimmers to this year’s Paralympic Games in Paris with a record 22 coming from Queensland clubs with a blend of some of the most exciting, experienced and successful swimmers to ever feature on an Australian Paralympic Team.
The team was announced after the first five days of the Australian Trials in Brisbane and presented with Qantas Boarding Passes, gold berets and traditional French baguettes.
The squad is spearheaded by long-serving favourites, three-time gold medallist Brenden Hall (USC Spartans; Harley Connolly) who will equal an Australian Para-swimming record fifth Games appearance,
While seven-time medallist, fellow Queenslanders Lakeisha Patterson (USC Spartans; Harley Connolly) and Rachael Watson (Chandler; Matteo Melis) the most senior female at 32) will each pursue a third consecutive Paralympic gold medal in their respective pet-events.
And Cairns Para legend, Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson, coached by Andrew ‘Herbie’ Howard, is also off to his third Games and is the most senior member of the team at 35.
The Silver Paralympic medallist will now prepare to compete at his third Paralympics, having started his Paralympic journey at London in 2012, missing Rio, who returned for Tokyo and now for Paris.
Twenty members of the successful Tokyo team will return for Paris, one Jenna Jones (USC Spartans; Harley Connolly) returning from Rio and nine rookies – including world record holding freestyler Alexa Leary (St Hilda’s Aquatics; Jon Bell) who will make her debut in Paris.
They will be joined by reigning 50 metres freestyle gold medallist, and 50 and 100 metres freestyle world champion Rowan Crothers (Yeronga Park; Kate Sparkes).
The two youngest on the team are the Gold Coast’s Holly Warn (St Hilda’s Aquatics; Alex Beaver) who is 15 and Sunshine Coast’s Callum Simpson (Flinders Phoenix; Chris Wright) 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.
There are 22 Queenslanders on the team, - making up 73 percent of the 2024 Paralympic team (80 percent (12) of the females and 677 percent (10) of the males five from NSW/ACT, two from Victoria and one from WA.
There are also four Queensland coaches name on the team David Heyden (University of Qld), Harley Connolly (USC Spartans), Jon Bell (St Hilda's Aquatics), and Kate Sparkes (Yeronga Park).
Paris campaign head coach Greg Towle said it had been a fantastic week of racing at the Trials in Brisbane.
“We have witnessed many brilliant swims this week, headlined by Tim Hodge’s world record in the 200m individual medley,” Towle said.
“The team is made up of youth and experience with Brenden Hall going into his fifth Paralympics Ahmed Kelly his fourth Paralympics. I’m particularly excited to see our rookies stepping up on to the international stage, led by newcomers Alexa Leary and Callum Simpson who bring a new energy and excitement to the group.
“I am proud of all the athletes and coaches selected for this team and I look forward to the opportunities that lay ahead. I’m confident this united group will combine to achieve their best and perform on the world stage in two months’ time.”
The swimming team for Paris was introduced by Australian Paralympic Team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin at the completion of the Australian Swimming Trials for Para-athletes in Brisbane on Friday night.
“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,” McLoughlin said.
“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, our swimmers brought home 33 medals, including eight gold, setting the tone for the wider Australian Paralympic Team. When our swimming team does well, Australia does well.
“We’ll have another strong team of swimmers representing us in Paris and I know they’ll be prepared and determined to give their absolute best as they go after their goals.”
The swimming team will be in camp in Chartres, about 90 kilometres south-west of Paris, for their staging camp from August 12 before the Paralympic Games begins on August 28.
2024 AUSTRALIAN PARALYMPIC SWIM TEAM
Jesse Aungles 29 CRUIZ (NSW)
Emily Beecroft 24 USC Spartans SC Inc; Harley Connolly (QLD)
Ricky Betar 20 USC Spartans SC Inc; Harley Connolly (QLD)
Lewis Bishop 19 Rackley Hibiscus; Josh Smith (QLD)
Rowan Crothers 26 Yeronga Park SC Inc; Kate Sparkes (QLD)
Katja Dedekind 22 Yeronga Park SC Inc; Kate Sparkes (QLD)
Tom Gallagher 25 Somerset SC (Gold Coast); Ashley Callus (QLD)
Jasmine Greenwood 19 CRUIZ (NSW)
Brenden Hall 31 USC Spartans SC Inc; Harley Connolly (QLD)
Benjamin Hance 23 St Andrew's SC; Ashley Delaney (QLD)
Timothy Hodge 23 ACU BLACKTOWN (NSW)
Jack Ireland 24 University of Queensland SC; David Heyden (QLD)
Ella Jones 23 KINCUMBER PACIFIC (NSW)
Jenna Jones 23 USC Spartans SC Inc; Harley Connolly (QLD)
Ahmed Kelly 32 YARRA PLENTY (VIC)
Alexa Leary 22 St Hilda's Aquatics (QLD); Jon Bell (QLD)
Paige Leonhardt 23 Sharks Aquatics SC Inc; Ken Malcolm (QLD)
Madeleine Mcternan 23 Sharks Aquatics SC Inc; Ken Malcolm (QLD)
Jake Michel 25 Carina Leagues CJ's SC Inc; Brian Glass (QLD)
Chloe Osborn 20 ACU BLACKTOWN (NSW)
Grant Patterson 35 Central Cairns Swimming Inc; Andrew Howard (QLD)
Lakeisha Patterson 25 USC Spartans SC Inc; Harley Connolly (QLD)
Col Pearse 20 NUNAWADING (VIC)
Alex Saffy 18 BUNBURY (WA)
Callum Simpson 17 Flinders Phoenix SC Inc; Chris Wright (QLD)
Keira Stephens 21 Southport Olympic SC Inc; Sean Eels (QLD)
Ruby Storm 20 St Andrew's SC; Ashley Delaney (QLD)
Holly Warn 15 St Hilda's Aquatics (QLD); Alex Beaver (QLD)
Rachael Watson 32 Chandler SC Inc; Matteo Melis (QLD)
Poppy Wilson 20 Yeronga Park SC Inc; Kate Sparkes (QLD)
