Timothy Disken

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Timothy Disken

| image = XXXX15 - Timothy Disken - 3b - 2016 Team processing.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = 2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait

| full_name = Timothy Malcolm Disken

| nickname = "Disko"

| nationality = Australian

| national_team =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|11|03|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Melbourne, Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| resting_place =

| hometown = Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

| occupation =

| years_active = 2014–

| height = 1.72 m

| weight =

| spouse = Hannah Disken

| country = Australia

| sport = Paralympic swimming

| disability = Cerebral palsy

| disability_class = S9

| event = Breaststroke
Freestyle
Medley

| club = PLC Aquatic

| coach = Damien Gogoll

| worlds =

| regionals =

| nationals =

| olympics =

| paralympics =

| commonwealth =

| highestranking =

| pb =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}

}}

Timothy Malcolm Disken, {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|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.{{cite web |title=Tim Disken's Biography Overview |url=http://85.17.198.3/static/info/glasgow-2015/eng/zb/ZBB101A_GL2015SW@@@@@@@ENG_number=19421.htm |website=IPC |access-date=26 August 2015}} 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.{{cite web |title=Swimming Australia Paralympic Squad Announcement |url=http://www.swimming.org.au/NewsCentral/Swimming-Australia-Paralympic-Squad-Announcement.aspx |website=Swimming Australia News |access-date=13 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113144330/http://www.swimming.org.au/NewsCentral/Swimming-Australia-Paralympic-Squad-Announcement.aspx |archive-date=13 November 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}} He also competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.{{Cite web |date=16 June 2021 |title=Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2021/06/paralympics-australia-names-powerful-para-swimming-team-for-tokyo/ |access-date=20 June 2021 |website=Paralympics Australia}}

Personal

Disken was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 3 November 1996 {{cite web |title=Timothy Diskens |url=http://www.vis.org.au/item/timothy-disken.html |website=Victorian Institute of Sport |access-date=26 August 2015}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and has cerebral palsy.{{cite web |title=Tim Diskens Biography |url=http://ipc.infostradasports.com/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=514&personid=1206698 |website=IPC |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090542/http://ipc.infostradasports.com/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=514&personid=1206698 |url-status=live}} He has an older brother Jeff who played water polo at a national level in Australia. When not competing Disken enjoys producing house music.{{cite web |title=Timothy Diskens |url=http://www.swimming.org.au/article.php?group_id=38048 |website=Swimming Australia |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907003352/http://www.swimming.org.au/article.php?group_id=38048 |archive-date=7 September 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}} Disken also likes to play piano and learned the piano for 12 years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/athlete/timothy-disken/ |title=Timothy Disken – Australian Paralympic Committee |website=www.paralympic.org.au |language=en-AU |access-date=2017-08-30 |archive-date=29 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329223454/https://www.paralympic.org.au/athlete/timothy-disken/ |url-status=live}}

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. He was selected to attend a development camp, along with other swimmers who were seen as having potential ahead of the 2016 Paralympics.

In 2014, Disken then went on to win gold in the 50 LC backstroke event at the 2014 Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane.{{cite web |title=DISKEN SETS THE STANDARD WITH 8 AUSSIE MULTI-CLASS AGE GROUP TITLES |url=http://swimswam.com/disken-sets-standard-8-aussie-multi-class-age-group-titles/ |website=Swim Swam |date=21 April 2014 |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-date=14 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914132208/http://swimswam.com/disken-sets-standard-8-aussie-multi-class-age-group-titles/ |url-status=live}}

He made his senior international debut at the 2014 Para Pan Pacific Championships in Pasadena CA{{cite web |title=Top Sports Stars from east crowned at annual awards night |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/sportsstar/top-sports-stars-from-east-crowned-at-annual-awards-night/story-fnlj2hmq-1227122016398 |website=Herald Sun |access-date=26 August 2015}}

Where he won bronze in the Men's S9 400m freestyle and gold in the Men 100 LC Meter breaststroke.{{cite web |title=Swimming Results |url=https://www.usopc.org/paralympic-sport-guide |website=U.S. PARALYMPICS |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-date=9 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909165930/http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Sports/Swimming/Results |url-status=live}}

In 2015, Disken represented Australia at the IPC Swimming World Championships winning bronze in the Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay 34 Points. 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.

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.{{cite web |title=Timothy Disken |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/athlete/timothy-disken |website=Rio Paralympics Official site |access-date=13 September 2016 |archive-date=22 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922202342/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/athlete/timothy-disken |url-status=live}} Disken's also competed in the Men's {{nowrap|4 × 100 m}} Freestyle and finished fifth.

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)

At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London, he won bronze medal in Men's {{nowrap|4 × 100 m}} Freestyle (34 points), finished fourth in the Men's {{nowrap|4 × 100 m}} Medley (34 points) and fifth in the Men's 100 Freestyle (S9).{{Cite web |title=Tomothy Disken |url=https://www.swimming.org.au/athletes/timothy-disken |access-date=21 June 2021 |website=Swimming Australia}}

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Disken qualified for both the Men's 50 m freestyle S9 and Men's 100 m breaststroke SB8 finals. He finished seventh in both events.{{Cite web |title=Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2021 |url=https://www.theroar.com.au/olympics/australian-paralympic-team/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=The Roar |language=en-US}} In the Men's 4x100m Medley 34 pts, he swam together with Ben Popham, Timothy Hodge, and William Martin. His team won the silver medal in a time of 4:07.70, just over a second behind the winners, RPC, who set a new world record.{{Cite web |date=16 June 2021 |title=Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2021/06/paralympics-australia-names-powerful-para-swimming-team-for-tokyo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616114345/https://www.paralympic.org.au/2021/06/paralympics-australia-names-powerful-para-swimming-team-for-tokyo/ |archive-date=16 June 2021 |access-date=17 June 2021 |website=Paralympics Australia}}

He was selected to compete at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.{{Cite web |date=5 May 2022 |title=Cole, Patterson And Levy Amongst Stars Of The Pool Ready To Splash And Dash In Birmingham |url=https://commonwealthgames.com.au/cole-patterson-and-levy-amongst-stars-of-the-pool-ready-to-splash-and-dash-in-birmingham/ |access-date=6 May 2022 |website=Commonwealth Games Australia}}

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

Recognition

In 2013 and 2014 Disken was awarded the junior sports star of the year by the Waverley Leader.
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.{{cite web |title=School pool named In honour of golden Paralympian |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/school-pool-named-in-honour-of-golden-paralympian/ |website=Australian Paralympic Committee News, 19 September 2016 |access-date=30 October 2016 |archive-date=30 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030201617/https://www.paralympic.org.au/school-pool-named-in-honour-of-golden-paralympian/ |url-status=live}}
In 2017 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.{{cite web |url=https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/ad/ad2017/slkh83xzcb/OAM%20Final%20Media%20Notes%20(A-E).pdf |title=OAM Final Media Notes (A-E) |publisher=Governor General of Australia |access-date=26 January 2017 |archive-date=26 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126101528/https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/ad/ad2017/slkh83xzcb/OAM%20Final%20Media%20Notes%20(A-E).pdf |url-status=dead}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20200125055420/https://www.swimming.org.au/athletes/timothy-disken Timothy Disken] at Swimming Australia (archived)
{{Paralympics Australia|timothy-disken}}
{{Commonwealth Games Australia|timothy-disken}}
{{IPC|timothy-disken}}
{{2018 Commonwealth Games profile|swimming/athlete-profile-n6029843-timothy-disken}}
{{Instagram}}

Category:1996 births

Category:Living people

Category:Australian male medley swimmers

Category:Australian male breaststroke swimmers

Category:Australian male freestyle swimmers

Category:S9-classified para swimmers

Category:Cerebral palsy-category Paralympic competitors

Category:Swimmers with cerebral palsy

Category:Male Paralympic swimmers for Australia

Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Australia

Category:Paralympic silver medalists for Australia

Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for Australia