Ben Popham
![]() Ben Popham in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | 4 September 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Paralympic swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disability class | S8 SB7, SM8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Arena Swim Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Simon Redmond | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Ben Popham (born 4 September 2000) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. He represented Australia at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, winning a silver and two bronze medals, and the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, where he won two gold medals and a silver.
Personal[]
Popham was born on 4 September 2000. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant.[1] In 2011 he was chosen to be one of the Channel Seven Perth Telethon's "Little Telethon Stars".[2] In 2019, he commenced a Bachelor of Commerce at Curtin University.[1]
Swimming career[]
Popham commenced swimming as a seven year old as part of his physical therapy program for cerebral palsy.[1] Popham made his international debut when he represented Australia at the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships in Cairns and won the Men’s 100m Freestyle S8 and was a member of the Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay (34 points) team.[3]
At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London, Popham won a silver medal in the Men's 100m Freestyle S8 and bronze medals in the Men's 50m Freestyle S8 and Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle 34 points.[4]
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Popham won gold medals in the Men's 100m freestyle S8 and Men's 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts, and a silver medal in the Men's 4x100m Medley 34 pts.[5][6]
Recognition[]
- 2018 – ‘AIS Discovery of the Year’ at Swimming Australia Awards.[1]
- 2019 – Curtin University Sportsman of the Year [7]
- 2019 – Western Australian Swimming Multi-Class Swimmer of the Year[8]
- 2021 –Western Australian Swimming Awards - Sir Frank Beaurepaire Memorial Trophy, Elizabeth Edmondson Medallist and Hancock Prospecting Patron’s Trophy for Male Swimming
References[]
- ^ a b c d Rifici, Victoria (17 January 2019). "Ben Popham (18) finalist for WA Sports Star award after 2018 international swimming feat". Western Suburbs Weekly. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ Smith, Ben (25 August 2021). "Tokyo Paralympics: Former Telethon Kid, WA's Ben Popham, qualifies fastest for 100m freestyle S8 final". PerthNow. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "Ben Popham". Swimming Australia website. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "Ben Popham results". 2019 World Para Swimming Championships results. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
- ^ "Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo". Paralympics Australia. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
- ^ "Ben Popham Results". Tokyo Paralympics Official Results. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "Ben Popham and Zoe Arancini win Curtin University Sports Awards". Western Australian Institute of Sport. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ "Holly Barratt Named Western Aaustralia's Swimmer of the year". SwimSwam. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
External links[]
- 2000 births
- Living people
- Cerebral Palsy category Paralympic competitors
- Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic gold medalists for Australia
- Paralympic silver medalists for Australia
- Paralympic medalists in swimming
- Swimmers with cerebral palsy
- Male Paralympic swimmers of Australia
- S8-classified Paralympic swimmers
- Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships