LAST UPDATE | 30 Aug
ROISIN NÍ RIAIN has won Ireland’s first medal at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris tonight with a silver medal in the S13 100m backstroke final, but there was disappointment for Ellen Keane as she just missed out on a medal in fourth place in the SB8 100m breaststroke final.
At the La Défense Arena in Paris, Ní Riain finished in a time of 1:07.27, behind the winner Gia Pergolini of the USA, who was first in 1:04.93. Italy’s Carlotta Gilli took bronze in a time of 1:08.08.
Limerick native Ní Riain had finished fourth in the S13 10om Butterfly final last night in a time of 1:06.04.
The 19-year-old landed her first Paralympic medal, to add to an honours list that already includes a World Championship gold.
SILVER FOR NÍ RIAN!!! 🥈
— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 30, 2024
S13 100m Backstroke Final
🕑1:07.27
Róisín opens Ireland’s medal account at the Paralympic Games!
UNBELIEVABLE RÓISÍN!!!#TheNextLevel | #TeamIreland | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/y8ePbGomEr
She parked that disappointment and bounced back in style to win a medal in the pool tonight.
“It was really nice to be able to get out there and win a medal and to have all of my friends and family be able to watch makes it even more exciting, hearing them when I came out as well makes all the difference.
“I don’t remember much of it, other than trying to talk myself through the first 50 and after that it’s really just go for it, that tends to be how I swim my backstroke races.
“I probably take it out probably too slowly my coach would say, then I come back strong. I’ll definitely have to go back and have a look, but it felt like a good race.”
Later, Keane suffered disappointment in her fifth and final Paralympic Games as she missed out on a medal position. A gold winner in Tokyo in 2021, and a bronze medallist in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Keane was caught at the finish and had to settle for fourth place.
Keane began strongly but her challenge faded slightly and she finished in a time of 1:24.69, with Viktoriia Ischchiulova getting ahead of her in third place for the bronze in a time of 1:24.50.
Spain’s Anastasiya Dmytriv Dmytriv took gold in 1:19.75 with Brock Whiston (Great Britain) in silver position in 1:21.04.
“If I got out of the water and I still had energy and still was able to walk, I think I would be annoyed at myself,” reflected Keane afterwards.
“But there is nothing more I could have done there, I gave it my all and really tried. I obviously would have loved to have made the podium on my last games but it just wasn’t to.
“That’s sport. I just tried to push on and push through and try stretch out that stroke but the finish just wasn’t there in the legs.
“I would have liked to have swam faster even being in fourth and swimming faster would have been nice but it wasn’t to be.”
- Additional reporting by Emma Duffy at the La Défense Arena in Paris
Written by Fintan O’Toole and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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