2024 Paris Paralympic Games Moreton Bay coverage: Medals for Hall, Patterson

Brenden Hall and Lakeisha Patterson have both won medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games on day one.

They competed in the 400m freestyle S9 finals early this morning (AEST time).

Hall, who qualified second fastest in the heats, became the first Australian medallist at the Paris Games when he took bronze in the final with a time of 4:15.61.

It came after a battle in the final 25m with fellow Aussie Timothy Hodge who was in third place before Hall surged to earn a podium place at his fifth Paralympic Games.

France’s Ugo Didier won the race, with Italy’s Simone Barlaam taking silver after leading most of the way.

Hall smiled and raised his arm in the air after realising he had another Paralympic medal in his grasp.

Lakeisha Patterson was hoping to be the first Australian woman to win three Paralympic gold medals, when she went out hard in lane four of the women’s 400m freestyle s9, but was pipped in the final 25m by Hungarian Zsofia Konkoly.

Patterson, who was defending her 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games title, came in second to take silver with a time of 4:40.14.

She led for most of the race, starting strongly in a bid to create a large buffer between herself and Konkoly whom she knew would finish fast.

While disappointed not to make it a ‘three-peat’, Patterson told Channel 9 she gave it everything.

“That’s sport, nothing is guaranteed. I gave it everything I could and I’m really proud of myself for that performance,” she said.

“It’s been a really tough year. I had an injury at the start of the year on my neck ... I don’t like to make excuses ever, but this year has been one of the most physically and mentally challenging years. I think to be able to be here and to breathe for eight laps is a pretty big deal.

“I’m certainly not done yet. There’s certainly more in the tank.”

Caboolture-based Patterson trained at Southern Cross, Lawnton and Burpengary, and is now with the Paralympic hub at UniSC.

Proud moment

Hall’s wife Britt and their young son Bodhi watched on as the 31-year-old, who grew up in Petrie, went to Pine Rivers State High School and swam at Redcliffe, Lawnton and Burpengary, gave it his all.

When asked to reflect on his remarkable career and being a three-time medallist in the 400m freestyle S9, Hall was quick to answer.

“I don’t really care what colour it (the medal) is. To have Bodhi here, I think that just tops everything and to finish on a bit of a high ... I’m pretty happy with that,” he told Channel 9.

He thanked his parents and brother for their support and said he wouldn’t have achieved what he had without them.

When asked how badly he was hurting in the final stages of the race, when he reeled in Hodge, Hall was frank in his response: “I didn’t give a sh*t. I just put the pedal down and went for it, and hoped I would come out with a medal”.