Paralympics 2024: Aussie misses medal as vexed ‘neutrals’ dominate the pool in Paris

Tim Hodge has missed out a medal in Paris after finishing behind two Russian swimmers who were allowed to compete as ‘neutrals.’ Yet, some athletes are questioning how ‘neutral’ they really are.

NANTERRE, FRANCE - AUGUST 29: Timothy Hodge of Team Australia acknowledges the crowd prior to the Men's 400m Freestyle - S9 Heats on day one of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Paris La Defense Arena on August 29, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Australia’s Timothy Hodge has just missed out a medal at the Paralympics after finishing behind two Russian swimmers who were allowed to compete at Paris as “neutrals”.

While there was just one Russian and three Belarusian swimmers permitted to swim at the recent Paris Olympics, International Paralympic officials have allowed a staggering 40 swimmers from Russian and Belarus to race for gold.

They are competing under strict rules, labelled “neutrals”, with no national anthems, flags, or official recognition on the medals tables.

They also have to prove they do not actively support Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, which led to Russia and Belarus being booted out of world sport, but their inclusion in Paris has not pleased everyone.

After Ukraine’s Oleksandr Komarov won the men’s 100m freestyle final in the S5 category on Saturday morning, he had to share the podium with Russia’s Kirill Pulver, who finished with the bronze medal.

Oleksandr Komarov (right) had to share the podium Russia’s Kirill Pulver (left). Picture: AFP

Forced to leave Ukraine and train overseas because of the war in his homeland, Komarov did not hold back when asked his feelings about standing on the medal podium with a Russian.

“It was difficult mentally and physically, because I think they are not neutral,” he said.

“I trained two years without my coach. I do not live in Ukraine. It was a very hard time for me and for Ukrainians.

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“I lived in Mariupol and I was in (the) city when Russian planes bombed our city. My house is destroyed and I am a lucky man because I did not die.

“It’s very important, the first gold medal for Ukraine, for Ukrainian soldiers, for Ukrainian people”

Hodge finished fifth in the men’s 100m breaststroke with Russia’s Andrei Kalina taking gold and Daniil Smirnov placing fourth.

Timothy Hodge took out Silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Picture: Getty Images

Kalina, 37, represented Ukraine on the international stage for over a decade before switching his allegiances to Russia in 2015 and said he was completely independent.

“We do this because we love this sport, love this atmosphere,” he said. “I’ve been in the sport for many years, and now I just do it for myself.”

Although they aren’t included on the official medals table, “neutral” swimmers have already won 10 medals, including three golds, from the first two days in Paris.

The Aussies have won four medals so far, with just one of them gold.

Just like their Olympic counterparts, Australia’s Paralympic swimmers struck out on the medals on the second day in the Paris pool.

Both the Olympic and Paralympic swim teams won four medals on their opening night of competition only to plunge back to Earth by coming up empty-handed on day two.

The Aussie Paralympic team did qualify in three of Saturday morning’s 14 swimming finals, but no-one got on the podium.

While the unlucky Hodge was fifth, Keira Stephens came even closer, finishing fourth in the women’s 100m breaststroke S9 category.

Stephens won bronze in the same event at Tokyo and even though her time in Paris was just 0.05 slower than in the Japanese capital, she missed a place on the podium by half a second while the mixed relay team got disqualified by overzealous officials for a trivial infringement when one of the Dolphins stayed in their lane too long after completing their leg.

Originally published as Paralympics 2024: Aussie misses medal as vexed ‘neutrals’ dominate the pool in Paris