Third World Title for Hodge and Debut Silver for Osborn

Madeira 2022. Manchester 2023. Singapore 2025.

Ben Hance and Tim Hodge have added another world title to their name.

On Day 2 of the 2025 Singapore World Para Swimming Championships, Hance and Hodge claimed their respective third consecutive world titles as experienced Dolphin Ahmed Kelly and emerging star Chloe Osborn opened up the night with two silvers.

It may not have been another world record swim but Hance continued his dominance in the men’s 100m backstroke S14 event to hit the wall first at 56.25. His world record time of 55.99 posted in this morning’s heats marked the start of something special for the Sunshine Coast swimmer.

“I’m going to start showing them what I’m made of,” Hance said.

Rookie Declan Budd (1:01.23), a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder, placed sixth overall in his second final for the meet.

The men’s 200m individual medley SM9 final shaped up to be a nail-biter as Frenchmen Ugo Didier in lane 5 and Hector Denayer from lane 2 crept up on either side of Hodge in lane 4 and challenged him to the wall.

Hodge, the reigning Paralympic champion and NSWIS scholarship holder in the event, held on to the lead and finished in 2:14.49, just ahead of Denayer (2:15.63) and Didier (2:15.64) who placed second and third respectively.

Osborn won silver in the women’s 400m freestyle S7 and credited her first individual world championships medal to her fourth-place result in Paris Paralympic Games, when she made her Dolphins debut.

“I think coming fourth (in Paris) was what actually pushed me to want to get that individual medal. So, to now actually achieve it, it’s awesome,” the NSWIS para athlete said.

“This medal has given me so much more confidence for the rest of the week. I have a few more events coming up. I know my speed is where it needs to be and I’m really excited to see how fast we can go.”

Experienced campaigner Ahmed Kelly claimed a third world championships career medal in the men’s 150m individual medley SM3.

As the top two fastest qualifiers Kelly and Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson were favourites for a 1-2 podium in the final but Paris Paralympic champion Josia Topf (GER) proved too good and touched in nine seconds ahead of the field.

Kelly (3:04.29) was awarded silver behind Topf (2:55.06). In the battle for bronze, Italy’s Gabriele Lonzo (3:09.05) outpaced Far North Queensland’s Patterson (3:09.92) in the final 50m.