German gold swimmer risks permanent damage

Despite serious setbacks, Josia Topf secured a gold medal at the Paralympics. His victory is more than just a sporting milestone.

Paris – At the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, Josia Topf, a 21-year-old para-swimmer from Erlangen, lost the gold medal in the 150-meter individual medley in a tense final. Although he was still in third place after the first 100 meters, he managed an impressive final sprint in the freestyle course. He overtook the Australian swimmers Ahmed Kelly and Grant Patterson and secured the victory with a time of 3:00.16 minutes.

Hands attached directly to shoulders – legs unequal: Josia Topf swims to Paralympic gold

Josia Topf's love of swimming was instilled in him by his father Hans-Georg Topf, a triathlete. At a young age, he took his son jogging and taught him to swim during a holiday in Mallorca. Topf remembered his father's words: “Everyone has to learn to swim, whether they are disabled or not.” A chance visit to the swimming pool led to Josia getting his Seahorse badge – a pivotal moment that paved the way for his later career.

Topf suffers from TAR syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes his hands to grow directly onto his shoulders and his legs to be uneven and stiff. Despite these challenges, he found freedom in the water and developed into a successful para-swimmer. Just one day after winning gold in the individual medley on Sunday (September 1), the 21-year-old swam to silver in the 50 m backstroke in 47.06 seconds. He was just 1.9 seconds away from beating Denys Ostaptschenko from Ukraine, his second triumph in 23 hours.

After family drama: German Paralympics star risks permanent damage for gold

However, Topf is not only facing sporting challenges. The target impact with the head, which has already led to unconsciousness, represents a particular danger. Studies by the Cologne Sports University have shown that this head impact can impair his cognitive performance. Despite the risk of permanent damage, Topf takes this risk for his success. His supervisor Anna Pfretzschner is therefore always ready at the edge of the pool to pull him out of the water in an emergency.

In addition, Topf has had to cope with serious family blows in recent years. In 2022, his beloved grandfather died, and a year later his dog. He also had to cancel the 2023 World Championships in Manchester due to illness. “Getting out of there and staying focused on the sport was very, very hard.” “They were very hard years for me and my family,” reflected Topf after his triumph.