Col Pearse
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 10 July 2003 Echuca, Victoria |
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Classifications | S10, SB9, SM10 |
| Club | Kew Swimming Club |
| Coach | Jol Fink |
Medal record | |
Col Pearse (born 10 July 2003) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, he won the bronze medal in the 100 m butterfly S10.[1]
Personal life[edit]
Pearse was born on 10 July 2003 in Echuca, Victoria. At the age of two, his right foot was amputated from below the ankle following a collision with a ride-on lawnmower.[2][3] He still has his heel bone intact so he can walk on his stump, though his right side is about 5 cm shorter than his left so he has a pronounced limp.[3] Pearse grew up in Echuca and, in 2018, he relocated to train with a specialist coach at the H2O Swimming Club.[4] In 2018, he was attending St Michael's Grammar School in Melbourne.[4]
In 2021, Pearse was awarded a Tier 2 Scholarship within the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program.[5]
Career[edit]
Besides swimming, Pearse played junior Australian Rules football for the Lockington Cats under-12s, wearing a blue-and-white hooped prosthetic foot inspired by his beloved Geelong Football Club.[3] In late 2016, he was selected as a member of the Australian Paralympic Development Squad. In 2019, he was selected on his first Australian swim team.[6] At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London, he won the bronze medal in the men's 100 m butterfly S10 and sixth in the men's 100 m backstroke S10 and men's 200 m individual medley SM10.[7]
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Pearse won the bronze medal in the men's 100 metre butterfly S10 with a time of 57:66, 3 seconds slower than the gold medal winner Maksym Krypak of Ukraine who set a world record. Pearce competed in the men's 200 m individual medley SM10 and made the final where he finished fourth. He also made the final of the men's 100 m backstroke S10 where he finished eighth.[8]
At the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships in Madeira, Pearse won two silver medals - men's 100 m butterfly S10 and Mmn's 200 m individual medley SM10.[9]
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Pearse won the gold medal in the men's 100 m butterfly S10.[10]
Recognition[edit]
- 2022 - Victorian Institute of Sport Para Athlete of the Year[11]
References[edit]
- ^ "Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo". Paralympics Australia. 16 June 2021. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ "Col Pearse". International Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ a b c Tuckerman, Raelee (7 June 2014). "Inspiring youngster turns adversity into sporting success". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ a b "'This is my sport' – St Michael's future Paralympian". St Michael Grammar School website. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Col Pearse Swimming". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ Johnston, Andrew (26 April 2019). "Col conquers another hurdle". Rivernia Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Col Pearse". 2019 World Para Swimming Championships Results. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Col Pearse". Tokyo Paralympics Official Results. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ "Grant Patterson". 2022 World Para Swimming Championships. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ "Cole, Patterson And Levy Amongst Stars Of The Pool Ready To Splash And Dash In Birmingham". Commonwealth Games Australia. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Montag Shines Bright At The VIS Award Of Excellence". Victorian Institute of Sport. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
External links[edit]
- Col Pearse at Paralympics Australia
- Col Pearse at Swimming Australia (archived)
- Col Pearse at the International Paralympic Committee
- 2003 births
- Living people
- Male Paralympic swimmers for Australia
- Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships
- Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Swimmers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic medalists in swimming
- Paralympic bronze medalists for Australia
- Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia
- People from Echuca
- Australian male butterfly swimmers
- Australian male medley swimmers
- S10-classified para swimmers
- 21st-century Australian people
- People educated at St Michael's Grammar School
- Sportsmen from Victoria (state)
- Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games