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Paralympic champions Callum Simpson and Rowan Crothers won two more gold medals for Australia on the penultimate night of the 2025 Singapore World Para Championships.
Simpson, in an event he hasn’t raced since Australian Open Championships in April, pushed himself to a second world title in a massive 4.37-second personal best to win the men’s 200m individual medley S8.
“Honestly, I can’t remember too much of that race but I knew I wanted to do my country and everyone who got me this far proud,” said Simpson, who burst onto the scene at last year’s Paris Games with two gold and a silver medal.
“I’ve done so much hard work and to see it pay off this much is something I couldn’t have dreamed of. It’s a big motivator going into LA.”
Like Simpson, Canada’s Reid Maxwell, 18, made his international debut in Paris. Maxwell touched second at 2:26.72, behind Simpson (2:25.49). Greece’s Dimosthenis Michalentzakis won bronze (2:27.24).
“If he (Reid Maxwell) wasn’t in that race, I probably wouldn’t have gone that quick because I always wanted to get the touch on him. We get along very well and I can’t wait to see what’s next for both of us.”
On his world championship debut, Simpson, 18, stood on the podium in all four of his events – a feat nearly matched by teammate Tim Hodge, who missed out on the medals in the 100m backstroke S9.
Over the week, Hodge won the 200m individual medley, claimed a 100m ‘fly silver and a relay bronze. On the final day of the championships, on Sunday, Hodge will compete in his fifth event, the 100m breaststroke SB8.
Simpson said: “I looked up to Tim Hodge when I was younger, so to be on the same trajectory as him and to get a medal in four events at a world championship, like he can, is something incredible.”
In all, Simpson broke five Oceania records and claimed the 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley, 50m freestyle silver and a 400m freestyle bronze.
The other gold of the night was won by Rowan Crothers, the seventh world championship gold of his career. Crothers – a six-time Paralympic medallist, including two gold – will leave the championships the undisputed sprint king after winning the 100m freestyle S10 in 51.05, following his gold in the 50m freestyle S10 on the first night.
“It feels pretty awesome to come away with seven world championship titles,” Crothers said.
“Even though I’ve been on team for what, 12 years, I still feel like a rookie and I still feel like I’m learning every time I get in the pool.
“Getting to train with some of the best able-bodied athletes, like (Olympic medallist) Matt Temple, at SASI in Adelaide has helped me learn so much about how they (Olympians) approach every session, every recovery and how they do the ‘one percenters’.
“I think the whole Paralympic team, like Tommy (Gallagher) at St Peters, is lifting their standards year after year and I’m so excited to see what that’s going to mean for the team in a few years’ time.”
Gallagher was quick off the blocks and first at the turn but couldn’t hold on to the lead as Crothers, Stefano Raimondi (ITA) and Ihor Nimchenko (UKR) caught him.
Gallagher finished fourth (52.09) and admitted that while disappointed, he had learnt a lot.
A delighted Alex Tuckfield went under the 53-second mark in the 100m freestyle S10 for the first time in his career and finished fifth (52.93).
In the women’s 50m freestyle S7, Chloe Osborn placed 6th in a personal best of 34.21. The world record holder Mallory Weggemann (USA) won her 17th world championship gold in 32.58. Osborn will contest the 100m freestyle S7 on the final day of competition.
Poppy Wilson closed out her Singapore campaign with a season’s best time of 1:04.21 in the women’s 100m freestyle S10. Wilson placed seventh in what was her fourth finals appearance this meet.
For full results see here: https://www.paralympic.org/swimming/live-results
Photo: Delly Carr
By: Swimming Australia
Published: 27 September 2025
