Gold, silver and bronze for UQ as Paralympians inspire the world
By Michael Jones
with Paralympics Australia
Eight UQ Para-athletes have returned to Australia with 11 medals after a thrilling, empowering and inspiring 11 days of competition at the 2024 Paris Paralympics Games.
It was a remarkable performance by the UQ contingent, who contributed to Australia’s haul of 63 medals (18 gold, 17 silver and 28 bronze) as the green and gold finished ninth on the medal tally ahead of Paralympic powers Japan, Germany and Canada, and just one gold medal behind host-nation France.
UQ alum Brenden Hall and student Lakeisha Patterson claimed Australia’s first 2 medals in the space of 10 minutes on the opening day of the Games.
Hall (Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Sciences ’17) clinched bronze in the men’s S9 400 metres freestyle Hall, touching the wall in a time of 4:15.61 – 3.06 seconds behind French swimmer Ugo Didier who stormed home in the final lap to claim gold over Italian Simone Barlaam (silver).
The bronze was the seventh Paralympic medal for the 5-time Paralympian, who was desperate to stand on the podium again after missing out in Tokyo.
UQ alum Brenden Hall celebrates his bronze medal in the men's S9 400 metres freestyle in Paris. Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
UQ alum Brenden Hall celebrates his bronze medal in the men's S9 400 metres freestyle in Paris. Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
“I was after a little bit of redemption, and I just wanted to come back with a medal this time,” said Hall, who indicated these Games would be his last.
“I didn’t care what colour it was and so to be able to do it in front of people who mean the most to me, that’s what made me feel it the most.”
Hall's efforts were even more remarkable considering he was Australia's flag bearer in the opening ceremony less than 12 hours before he dived into the pool for the heats of the 400 metres.
Ten minutes after Hall won Australia's first medal in Paris, UQ Bachelor of Communication student Lakeisha Patterson collected the second – claiming silver in the women's S9 400 metres freestyle.
The 2-time Paralympic gold medallist (4:40.14) led the race until the final lap but was pipped by 0.36 seconds by Hungary’s Zsofia Konkoly, who Patterson edged out for gold in the same race at the Tokyo Games.
It was a dream Paralympics debut for Korey Boddington 24 hours later, when the University of Queensland Cycle Club member collected a gold medal – and a Games record (1:02.021) – in the C4–C5 1000 metres time trial, finishing in front of Blaine Hunt from Great Britain (silver) and Alfonso Cabello Llamas from Spain (bronze).
Boddington added a bronze to his medal tally the next day, helping Australia claim third in the C1–5 750 metres team sprint event.
Boddington (C4), Gordon Allan (C2) and Alistair Donohoe (C5) clocked a time of 49.036, beating France (49.961) in the head-to-head battle for bronze.
“I don’t know what it is about cycling, I’m just obsessed with it,” said the 28-year-old account, who until 9 months ago had never left Queensland.
Korey Boddington (centre) with his gold medal after the men's C4-5 1000 metres time trial final. Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images
Korey Boddington (centre) with his gold medal after the men's C4-5 1000 metres time trial final. Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images
“This is unbelievable. I want to tell kids out there to go for their dreams, to fight for them, you got to shoot for the stars.”
Fellow Paralympic debutant and UQ Swimming Club member Jack Ireland continued UQ’s strong showing in the pool, winning a silver and bronze to overcome the disappointment of missing the Australian team for the Tokyo Games.
Ireland stormed home to take bronze in the men’s S14 200 metres freestyle in a personal best time of 1:53.77.
He backed that up with silver medal the following day when he led the Australian team in the mixed S14 4x100 metres freestyle relay.
The underrated Aussies took it to gold-medallists Great Britain in a small field, picking up the silver medal in a time of 3:46.37.
It was a dream Paralympics debut for Korey Boddington 24 hours later, when the University of Queensland Cycle Club member collected a gold medal – and a Games record (1:02.021) – in the C4–C5 1000 metres time trial, finishing in front of Blaine Hunt from Great Britain (silver) and Alfonso Cabello Llamas from Spain (bronze).
Boddington added a bronze to his medal tally the next day, helping Australia claim third in the C1–5 750 metres team sprint event.
Boddington (C4), Gordon Allan (C2) and Alistair Donohoe (C5) clocked a time of 49.036, beating France (49.961) in the head-to-head battle for bronze.
“I don’t know what it is about cycling, I’m just obsessed with it,” said the 28-year-old account, who until 9 months ago had never left Queensland.
Korey Boddington (centre) with his gold medal after the men's C4-5 1000 metres time trial final. Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images
Korey Boddington (centre) with his gold medal after the men's C4-5 1000 metres time trial final. Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images
“This is unbelievable. I want to tell kids out there to go for their dreams, to fight for them, you got to shoot for the stars.”
Fellow Paralympic debutant and UQ Swimming Club member Jack Ireland continued UQ’s strong showing in the pool, winning a silver and bronze to overcome the disappointment of missing the Australian team for the Tokyo Games.
Ireland stormed home to take bronze in the men’s S14 200 metres freestyle in a personal best time of 1:53.77.
He backed that up with silver medal the following day when he led the Australian team in the mixed S14 4x100 metres freestyle relay.
The underrated Aussies took it to gold-medallists Great Britain in a small field, picking up the silver medal in a time of 3:46.37.
While it wasn’t the medal they were hoping for, the Australian Steelers ended an 8-year medal drought when they defeated 2020 Paralympic champions Great Britain 50-48 in the wheelchair rugby bronze-medal play-off.
With 2 gold medals (Rio 2016, London 2012) and 2 silver medals (Beijing 2008, Sydney 2000) since the sport was introduced to the Paralympics in 1996, the bronze medal completed the historical set for the Australian team – which featured UQ Wheelchair Rugby Club players Chris Bond, Josh Nicholson and Beau Vernon, who scored a miraculous try in a pivotal moment on the stroke of half-time in the bronze-medal match.
Vernon latched onto a looping pass from Steelers veteran Ryley Batt with just centimetres and 0.4 seconds to spare before he rolled over the try-line to help Australia take a one-goal lead and the ascendancy into the long break.
UQ Wheelchair Rugby Club player Beau Vernon in action against Great Britain. Image: Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images for IPC)
UQ Wheelchair Rugby Club player Beau Vernon in action against Great Britain. Image: Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images for IPC)
Australian and UQ captain Bond said he was proud of the way his team bounced back after their crushing semi-final loss, when they went down 52-51 to Japan in overtime.
“It was so disheartening when we battered out of the semi-final in the way we did, the fact that we had the game in our hands, and we lost,” Bond said.
“But we told the team to just let that sink in, use that as fuel for motivation today, we always wanted to finish on top and get a win. Two-thirds of our team coming in had never received a Paralympic medal before, and now they’re Paralympic medallists.”
Image: Alex Davidson/Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Image: Alex Davidson/Getty Images
UQ Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) student Rachael Watson capped UQ’s successful Paris campaign, winning 2 bronze medals in the final days of the Games.
The triple Paralympian, who has recently been reclassified from an S4 to an S3 due to her Guillain Barre Syndrome, won bronze in the women’s S3 100 metres freestyle – her first Paralympic medal at this distance – after setting an Oceania Record for the event in the heats.
She then faced an agonising 24-hour wait to be presented a bronze medal in her pet event – the S4 women's 50 metres – as Brazilian swimmer Lidia Vieira da Cruz lodged a protest after being disqualified for a false start in the final.
Watson, who was swimming up a class and chasing her third consecutive gold medal in the event, touched the wall in fourth place but was elevated to bronze when it appeared the Brazilian had pushed off the wall moments before the starting signal.
The 32-year-old produced the fastest 50 metres freestyle performance of her career – a PB and Oceania record – and it took a world-record time by Leanne Smith from the United States (40.03) to beat her, with Germany's Tanja Scholz (40.75) taking home the silver.
"I'm honestly really happy just to podium in that event," Watson said after the 50 metres final.
"It was really hard backing up. It's a really tough event, really fast competitors, tight turnarounds. Even though it's my pet event, I'm really happy."
On top of the water, UQ Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Sciences (Honours) student and King's College Boat Club rower Tobiah Goffsassen helped Australia finish fifth in the PR3 Mixed Coxed 4s.
Australia (7:14.78) earned a spot in the Final A after claiming first place in the Repechage but couldn't match the pace of medallists Great Britain (6:55.30), USA (6:58.59) and France (7:03.11).
UQ Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) student Rachael Watson capped UQ’s successful Paris campaign, winning 2 bronze medals in the final days of the Games.
The triple Paralympian, who has recently been reclassified from an S4 to an S3 due to her Guillain Barre Syndrome, won bronze in the women’s S3 100 metres freestyle – her first Paralympic medal at this distance – after setting an Oceania Record for the event in the heats.
She then faced an agonising 24-hour wait to be presented a bronze medal in her pet event – the S4 women's 50 metres – as Brazilian swimmer Lidia Vieira da Cruz lodged a protest after being disqualified for a false start in the final.
Watson, who was swimming up a class and chasing her third consecutive gold medal in the event, touched the wall in fourth place but was elevated to bronze when it appeared the Brazilian had pushed off the wall moments before the starting signal.
UQ student Rachael Watson after winning bronze in the S3 women's 100 metres freestyle. Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
UQ student Rachael Watson after winning bronze in the S3 women's 100 metres freestyle. Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
The 32-year-old produced the fastest 50 metres freestyle performance of her career – a PB and Oceania record – and it took a world-record time by Leanne Smith from the United States (40.03) to beat her, with Germany's Tanja Scholz (40.75) taking home the silver.
"I'm honestly really happy just to podium in that event," Watson said after the 50 metres final.
"It was really hard backing up. It's a really tough event, really fast competitors, tight turnarounds. Even though it's my pet event, I'm really happy."
On top of the water, UQ Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Sciences (Honours) student and King's College Boat Club rower Tobiah Goffsassen helped Australia finish fifth in the PR3 Mixed Coxed 4s.
Australia (7:14.78) earned a spot in the Final A after claiming first place in the Repechage but couldn't match the pace of medallists Great Britain (6:55.30), USA (6:58.59) and France (7:03.11).
