Róisín Ní Ríain’s stunning Paralympic silver medal in the final of the Women’s S13 100m Backstroke was the highlight of Day Two from the Paralympic Games in Paris on Friday.
Para Swimming
Róisín Ní Riain stormed to second place in a time of 1:07.27 to win her maiden Paralympic medal.
“I’m delighted with that swim and it makes it extra nice with my friends and family here to watch as well. My whole training group that I train with back at home (in Limerick), a lot of them are here so it’s really nice to do it with them here tonight. It’s great for my family to be here, to be able to see it. I have three sisters and they all swim so it’s definitely nice to do it with them around.”
“That was a really nice feeling to hear (the huge roar when she emerged on the pool deck ahead of the final). To have everyone here to support me definitely spurs me on as well. I’ll have to go back and look (at the race) but I was happy with it overall. We’ll sit down and analyse it like every other race. Everyone says to me how much I love racing and I really genuinely do. It’s what I love to do.”
“I definitely love racing and I think why I love it so much is that every single time you go out to race you can learn something new.”
“It’s a great feeling to win Ireland’s first medal but there’s so much more to come. It’s definitely only the start for Ireland.”
Shortly after Ní Riain’s medal win, Ellen Keane was two tenths of a second off the medals coming fourth in the 100m SB8 Breaststroke final with a time of 1:24.69.
After the race she said, “Obviously I’m disappointed in not making the podium but I really tried. I can’t have any regrets. I really felt it in my legs towards the end of that race. I know it was just a margin off third but if I finished that race and still had energy and came fourth, I’d be so annoyed with myself. I put it all out there in the end and I’m happy and proud of myself that I tried. It was so close in the end. I always knew it was going to be a fight. ‘
“I was really in the zone tonight. I didn’t want to risk getting lost in the crowd or distracted. I just kept telling myself ‘I’m ready, I’m ready.’ I really did fight there. It’s not lack of trying that I came fourth and I’ve had so many highlights in my career.”
“Since Tokyo I knew I was ready, mentally, to let go and ready to walk away and I think that’s reflected in my times through the years since Tokyo. For me it was just about giving it my all and I did.”
“When it comes to being a champion I think you can define that in many different ways. It’s about being brave enough to show that you give it your all and that’s what I did.”
“I’m so grateful that I’m here today and I’m really looking forward to the next phase of my life. I think I’ll still be involved in some way, shape or form, in Paralympic swimming and Paralympics in future.”
Para Cycling
In the Velodrome earlier in the day afternoon, Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal earned a fifth place finish in the final of the Women’s B 1000m Time Trial with a time of 1:09.447.
Speaking after the Final, Katie-George said, “We’re happy with the ride, it was a better ride than this morning even though it was slower, but that’s track racing for you.” she said with a giggle.
“Fifth in a 1km is great, a lot of the other girls are specialists in this event and it’s not our event, and we don’t much track time. It just gives us confidence that we are doing well and our power is good for Sunday.”
Talking about some the challenges she has overcome in preparation for these Games, Katie-George said: “Preparations were not ideal coming to a Paralympic Games. Three months ago, I broke my collarbone in a Road Race with Eve in Italy. I shattered it and had an operation, so I have been in recovery from that and trying to get myself fit on a bike and ready for the training camps, and ready to get in a time trial position with a lot of pins and plates in my arm and shoulder. I’m still working hard on my shoulder now and doing rehab for it and it still gives me pain, but that eases every day. I’m controlling what I can control, that’s just working on what I can do and trying to get myself ready.”
“I’m a very positive person, very optimistic, I never look back, just looking ahead that I’m going to be in Paris. I’m lucky that I didn’t do my hip and I didn’t break my leg and that I am here in Paris because a lot of people they get injured and miss out on a Games, I’m here and I’m racing and I’m healthy. Except that a few days ago I did have a virus and I was in bed for three days as well, so do you know what – things are set to try us and we battle on.”
“I am definitely looking forward to Sunday, I think that kilo there was more like the first kilo of the Pursuit in terms of settling in, for me as a pilot finding the lines, and delivering lap after lap. It gives us confidence going in,” added Eve McCrystal
“We’re up against it, it’s a huge fight against three British bikes, I don’t know how the French are going but all we can do is do our own ride, see what happens and what will be will be.”
Also competing in the Women’s B 1000m time trial qualifier and making her Paralympic debut was Josephine Healion, piloted by Linda Kelly. The pair finished in a time of 1:10.808 beating their PB by 3 seconds but narrowly missing out of qualification finishing in seventh with the top six bikes progressing to the final.
When asked about making her Paralympic debut, Healion said: “It was absolutely phenomenal, to be a Paralympian and to compete at the Games and to get a PB here is absolutely amazing. Couldn’t have asked for more really.”
“I’m new to this so I’m new to crowds as well but this is more than what you can picture in your head, you have to live it to feel it. It’s incredible and a big shout out to all the fans that came over to give Ireland a cheer on. It’s phenomenal.”
“I am so happy with how today went, three seconds PB so just absolutely over the moon,” added Kelly. To have our first competition out of the way, the nerves have settled a bit. The crowds have just driven us on as well, you could hear the Irish fans at the back straight. It was absolutely amazing.”
Ronan Grimes took to the track at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome for the opening race of in the qualifier for the Men’s C4-5 1000m Time Trial, posting a time of 1:05.521 a new national record and personal best.
I can’t believe it, I think going in I was nearly worried that I wouldn’t PB. I knew on the first lap, it felt like I was going fast. When I saw 1:05 on the board, I can retire happy now.”
“When you’re warming up and you’re underneath the track and you just hear this noise, I thought it was my headphones making this kind of beat, but it’s the crowd up above. Knowing that you’ve family in there watching you, people at home, all the messages I’ve been getting to wish me good luck so you want to finish giving it your all!”
Grimes has an action-packed competition schedule for the remainder of the Games, he outlined his plan:
“I think it’s the cliché of event by event, day by day, so today was the Kilo, tomorrow the Individual Pursuit, fingers crossed I can do a good ride there, hopefully I think I should have it in me, there’s good power in me now. Then next week onto the Time Trial, then the Road Race. Finishing on the Road Race is going to be the highlight.”
Para-Rowing
Katie O’Brien and Tiernan O’Donnell’s Paralympic Debut was delayed by weather before finishing fourth in their heat of the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls in a time of 9:03.33.
They will now compete in the repechage on Saturday morning at 09:50 Irish Time.
With thanks to the great media team working for Paralympics Ireland across the venues in Paris. The team behind the team.
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