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It seems Tim Hodge was always mature beyond his years.
Before he reached his teens, the budding Para-swimmer wanted to know exactly what he needed to do to become the best on the planet in his favourite events.
“When I started proper competitive Para-swimming, I found out about the world records and also the Australian records and Australian age records,” Hodge said.
“At the time, Matthew Cowdrey held the vast majority of the world records and he also held a significant portion of the Australian age records. Each year, I wanted to try and break his Australian records for each age group.
“I thought if I could do that at each age, things in the future might go similarly and I might be able to win gold Paralympic medals like he did.
“I believe I broke most, if not all, of them on the way through the age groups from 12 to 18. At the moment I’ve taken his world records in the 50 backstroke (at the 2019 Australian Championships) and 200 IM.”
The latter came last month at the World Para Swimming Championships in Portugal. By finishing in 2:13.43, Hodge shaved 0.17 seconds off the time Cowdrey set at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics. It put an end to the most enduring world record in the men’s 200 metres individual medley in any classification and earned the 21-year-old his first gold medal at a major event.
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“Obviously the world’s gotten a little bit faster since Cowdrey was on top,” he said. “But it’s been a bit of a stepping stone and things are hopefully now going to go past what I thought could be possible.”
The 200 metres individual medley had been the main focus for Hodge at the World Championships. Lowering the world record, however, was more a target for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
“We’re lucky enough that everything paid off a bit earlier than expected and I was able to get the record at Worlds,” said Hodge, who took silver in the event at Tokyo 2020.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting it. We always go into an event hoping we can come home with a medal and maybe even the gold medal. But the world record is just icing on the cake.”
Charting the Australian age records he needed to beat – and then beating them – was impressive. But another sign of Hodge’s mature approach to his swimming was that, when asked about his experience at the Championships, his initial reaction was to talk about winning his other gold medal for the meet, in the mixed 4×100 metres medley relay 34 points alongside teammates Keira Stephens, Emily Beecroft and Matt Levy.
“It’s been my dream for a number of years to win a gold medal at a major international event, to stand on the top of the dais and sing the Australian national anthem,” he said. “Everything came together and I was able to do that. I’m really over the moon – especially about winning gold as part of the relay team.
“With a relay, we’re representing Australia and we’ve got to work together to help each other to put a good performance down. I find it can be a lot harder but also a lot more enjoyable than just individual events.
“We put great emphasis on it being a team environment and supporting each other. I was lucky enough that my swim in the IM showed that I was in good form and I also had a decent time in the 100 backstroke (in which he won bronze).
“Being selected in a relay is a really big thing. There are very few relay spots and you have to be able to prove that you’re good enough to deserve a spot. So, being part of one of our relay teams was a great honour.
“The overall experience was great. We surpassed our achievements at the 2019 Worlds in London. The fact we were able to do that despite a number of the team members coming down with Covid during the course of the trip just shows how resilient our team can be under adverse conditions.”
Hodge’s next assignment is the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, starting on July 28.
By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 5 July 2022
Image: International Paralympic Committee
