‘Scaled Back’ Program Yields Exceptional Result For Patterson  

‘Scaled Back’ Program Yields Exceptional Result For Patterson  

An emotional Lakeisha ‘Lucky’ Patterson opened Night 5 of the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore on Thursday with a gold medal in the women’s 400m freestyle S9, before her Australian teammates added another silver and three bronze medals. 

In a battle between the ‘veteran’ and the rookie, Patterson, 26, leant on her nine years of experience to gain on Croatia’s bolter Emma Mecic,18, and defend her world title by almost two body lengths. 
 
“This is probably the only time I’ve really been that emotional after a race,” the three-time Paralympic Games gold medallist said.  

“I mean, I’ve been world champion before, but this time, it’s just so much more special. 
 
“To come back here post-Paris, doing the fastest times I’ve done in nearly six years … and after really modifying and scaling back my program in order to make it work for me, just means so much.” 
 
Patterson finished first in 4:39.40, followed by Mecic (4:42.55) and Hungary’s Zsofia Konkoly (4:48.77). 
 
Patterson’s gold was quickly followed by another experienced campaigner proving that youth may be the gift of nature but age is the work of art. 
 
A delighted Brenden Hall, 32, at his seventh world championship, claimed his 12th world championship medal in the men’s 400m freestyle S9, a bronze that he very much considered a dirty gold. 

While Simone Barlaam (Italy) and Jacabo Garrido Brun (Spain) battled for gold and silver respectively in the final 25 metres, Hall was in a battle for bronze with France’s Ugo Didier.  

With his two sons watching on, Hall – who carried the Australian flag with athletics star Madison de Rozario at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony – hit the wall at 4:14.69, ahead of Didier in 4:15.33 and Harrison Vig (4:17.73). 
 
Throw in a bronze from Col Pearse and a silver from Callum Simpson and the stage was set for Patterson’s big finale. 

Pearse had given his mum, cheering in the stands, a late but great birthday present when he claimed bronze in the men’s 100m butterfly S10 and set an Oceania record of 56.56 in the process. 
 
Italian powerhouse Stefano Raimondi (54.88) and Ukraine’s Ihor Nimcheko (54.99) placed first and second respectively. Paris bronze medallist Alex Saffy was just behind in fourth.  
In the men’s 50m freestyle S8, just 0.03 of a second separated Simpson from winning his second world title in 24 hours.  
 
Simpson touched in at 26.21, just behind Ukraine’s Eduard Horodianyn in first (26.18). It was Simpson’s fifth Oceania record set this meet and third consecutive podium after winning gold in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 400m event. 
 
But then, enter Australia’s four-star relay lineup, in which Tom Gallagher led a quartet of Tim Hodge, Emily Beecroft and Chloe Osborn in the mixed 4x100m medley 34pt relay.  

Gallagher (S10) set up a class performance with a 1:00.84 backstroke leg and his speed surprised most who are used to seeing the Paris Paralympic 50m freestyle champion on his front. 
 
“Dean (Boxall) will be the first to tell you I’ve done maybe 50 metres worth of backstroke training since I’ve started,” Gallagher said. “But I love racing, I love lifting, especially in team events. I train bloody hard and all I have to do is swim freestyle on my back, so that’s pretty much where I get it from. 
 
“I just love lifting for the team, it’s always a privilege and that was a PB for me … maybe I’ll have to start some backstroke training.” 
 
Hodge (SB8) and Beecroft (S9), who swam the breaststroke and butterfly legs respectively, reminisced about the last time they raced the event on the world stage, at the Paris Paralympics, and won gold in a sensational fashion alongside Alexa Leary, Jesse Aungles and heat swimmers Callum Simpson and Keira Stephens. 
 
“Walking out in the heats this morning brought back such good memories of Paris,” Beecroft said. “It’s a brand-new team this year, so we had no real expectations coming in tonight, we just wanted to have fun, execute our race plans and I think we did really well. I think the future of this particular race for Australia looks very bright.”  
 
In a thrilling finish, rising star Osborn (S7) went up against a closing in Anastasiya Dmytriv from Spain (S9) and Great Britain’s Roan Brennan (S10). Spain touched first in a championship record time of 4:31.50, followed by Great Britain (4:31.65) and Osborn who brought home the bronze (4:32.05). 
 
Find full results here: https://www.paralympic.org/swimming/live-results 

Photo: Delly Carr 

By: Swimming Australia 

Published: 26 September 2025