Hodge in Australian team for World Para Swimming Championships

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete Tim Hodge’s supreme effort to smash his own world record for the 200m Individual Medley SM9 – twice in one day – during the Australian Swimming Championships, was rewarded with his selection in the Australian Dolphins team.

The 26 person Dolphins team will compete at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, UK from 31 July to 6 August.

The team was selected after a sensational four days of competition at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, and Hodge will be joined in Manchester by Tokyo gold medallists, including Rowan Crothers, Lakeisha Patterson, Benjamin Hance and Rachael Watson.

The selection allows Hodge to continue his dream of inspiring the next generation of swimmers through his exploits in the pool.

“I’d like to think I am helping to inspire the next generation of swimmers,” Hodge told NSWIS before beginning his Australian Championships campaign. “We have a huge amount of talent in the Australian team at the moment, but we need the next generation to carry on the torch.

“There’s some very good swimmers coming through, and just as I looked to Matt [Cowdrey], and I wanted to beat his record, I hope the next generation of swimmers are looking to break mine.”

However, Kate Sparkes, who was appointed alongside Harley Connolly as Head Coaches of the Australian Dolphins Paralympic team, said Hodge will be busy in Manchester.

“Tim Hodge is going to be the busiest swimmer at the meet competing in five individual events and potentially two relays… he’s definitely one to watch out for,” Sparkes said.

NSWIS is also proudly represented in the squad through physiotherapist Krystal Sharp, and network coach, Misha Payne.

Making their Australian Dolphins debut is 19 year old Poppy Wilson (Brisbane) and 21 year old Alexa Leary (Sunshine Coast).

Connolly said he’s very happy with the performances he saw from the squad during the Australian Championships.

“I’m really impressed with how the swimmers have shaped up and put their bodies on the line to get themselves on the Australian Team,” said Connolly.

“We have a really experienced team as well as two debutants which is exciting.  Alex Leary has an amazing story, where following her accident she had while riding she managed to come back in a different sport and now will be able to challenge the world with her swimming.

“Poppy Wilson is another who has been an upcomer for years and finally broken through in the S10 Class and she’s going to be really competitive over the 400m freestyle and the 100m fly when we get to Worlds,” he said.

With just under 500 days to go until the Paris Paralympics, Connolly said the team is tracking well.

“Really excited on how the team is swimming, especially the upcomers who are just behind the guys who have made the team this year.  It’s really exciting to see the young kids who are pushing the older ones up and it’s making everyone better.

“The team motto we have is ‘better people make a better team’ that’s really improving from everyone’s swimming,” he said.

Sparkes echoed Connolly’s comments, adding that the hard work starts now as they look to improve on results from this event building into the World Championships.

“This isn’t the finish line, this is the stepping stone of what we can do in the next few weeks,” said Sparkes.

“We now have two weeks until our next connection point when we’ll meet in Sydney for the Sydney Open, which will be the next time our team is together, and from there we will have eight weeks where we’ll want to see the team get back to work and it’s an opportunity to improve on their performances from the Australian Championships.

“We want to see people improve on their results from heats to finals but also from Trials to Manchester… so there is plenty of work ahead of us in the next 100 days.”

The 2023 World Para Swimming Championships will be held in Manchester, UK from 31 July to 6 August.

Australian Dolphins Team for the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships:

*pending classification

COACHES

SUPPORT STAFF

Shannon Matheson – Team Manager

Wendy Swift – Psychologist

Katie McGibbon – Physiologist

Simon Pearson – Biomechanics

Koji Honda – Biomechanics

Brett Doring – Physiotherapist

Krystal Sharp – Physiotherapist

Erin Haske – Massage

Jodie Hawkins – Media Manager

Martin Bellew – Videographer