Timothy Disken

Timothy Malcolm (Disko) Disken, OAM (born 3 November 1996) is an Australian paralympic swimmer. He represented Australia at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships and won bronze in the men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.[1] At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he won a gold medal in the men's 100m freestyle S9, a silver medal in the men's S9 50m freestyle and a bronze medal in the men's 200m individual medley SM9.[2][3]

Timothy Disken
2016 Australian Paralympic Team portrait
Personal information
Nickname(s)"Disko"
NationalityAustralian
Born (1996-11-03) 3 November 1996
Melbourne, Australia
Years active2014–
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportParalympic swimming
DisabilityCerebral palsy
Disability classS9
Event(s)Breaststroke
Freestyle
Medley
ClubPresbyterian Ladies' College (PLC) Aquatic Centre
Coached byYuriy Vdovychenko
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Men's Swimming
Paralympic Games
2016 Rio de Janeiro100m freestyle S9
2016 Rio de Janeiro50m freestyle S9
2016 Rio de Janeiro200m individual medley SM9
World Para Swimming Championships
2015 Glasgow4x100m freestyle S9
2019 London4x100m freestyle 34 points
Commonwealth Games
2018 Gold Coast100m freestyle S9
2018 Gold Coast100m breaststroke SB7

Personal

Disken was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 3 November 1996 [4] and has cerebral palsy.[5] He has an older brother called Jeff who played water polo at a national level in Australia.[5] When not competing Disken enjoys producing house music.[6] Disken also likes to play piano and learned the piano for 12 years.[7] He is also the owner of Mitsubishi Magna Ralliart Build number #001, also known by its nickname "The Ninja".

Sporting career

Disken began participating in swimming aged 4, as a form of therapy for his cerebral palsy and started to compete in the sport at age 10.[5] He was selected to attend a development camp, along with other swimmers who were seen as having potential ahead of the 2016 Paralympics.[5]

In 2014, Disken then went on to win gold in the 50 LC backstroke event at the 2014 Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane.[8] He made his senior international debut at the 2014 Para Pan Pacific Championships in Pasadena CA[5][9] Where he won bronze in the Men's S9 400m freestyle and gold in the Men 100 LC Meter breaststroke.[10]

In 2015, Disken represented Australia at the IPC Swimming World Championships winning bronze in the Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay 34 Points.[1] He finished 5th in the Men's 100m Breaststroke SB8, 4th in the Men's 50m Freestyle S9, sixth in the Men's 400m Freestyle S9, seventh in the Men's 200m Individual Medley SM9 and fourth in the Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay 34 Points.[1]

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he won the gold medal in the Men's 100m Freestyle S9, silver medal in the Men's 50 m Freestyle and the bronze medal in the Men's 200m Individual Medley SM9.[2] Disken's also competed in the Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle and finished fifth.[1][2][5][9]

In October 2017 Disken required emergency brain surgery while competing for Australia in Toronto, Canada. He has shunted hydrocephalus and the shunt broke, leaving him unconscious within hours. He fought back after his recovery and represented Australia at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games where he won the gold medal in S9 100m freestyle and Gold in SB8 100m breaststroke.(13)

Disken is coached by Yuriy Vdovychenko at the National Training Centre in Canberra.[5]

Recognition
  • In 2013 and 2014 Disken was awarded the junior sports star of the year by the Waverley Leader.[9]
  • In 2015, Disken was awarded the Presidents Trophy at the Swimming Victoria Annual Awards night for his achievements at World Championships.
  • In 2016 he was awarded Multi Class Swimmer of the Year at the Swimming Victoria Annual Awards night.
  • In 2016, Glenallen School named its swimming pool Tim Disken Pool as a result of his performances at the Rio Paralympics.[11]
  • In 2017 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.[12]

References
  1. "Tim Disken's Biography Overview". IPC. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  2. "Timothy Disken". Rio Paralympics Official site. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  3. "Swimming Australia Paralympic Squad Announcement". Swimming Australia News. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  4. "Timothy Diskens". Victorian Institute of Sport. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  5. "Tim Diskens Biography". IPC. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  6. "Timothy Diskens". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  7. "Timothy Disken – Australian Paralympic Committee". www.paralympic.org.au. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  8. "DISKEN SETS THE STANDARD WITH 8 AUSSIE MULTI-CLASS AGE GROUP TITLES". Swim Swam. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  9. "Top Sports Stars from east crowned at annual awards night". Herald Sun. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  10. "Swimming Results". U.S. PARALYMPICS. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  11. "School pool named In honour of golden Paralympian". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 19 September 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  12. "OAM Final Media Notes (A-E)" (PDF). Governor General of Australia. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
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