On the concluding day of the Paralympic Games, Team Ireland were unable to add to their medal tally. The Irish team will be returning from Paris having earned a collection of six medals: one gold achieved by Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly, three silver medals courtesy of Katie-George Dunlevy, Linda Kelly, Katie-George-Dunlevy, Eve McCrystal, and Róisin Ní Riain, and a pair of bronze medals won by Róisin Ní Riain and Orla Comerford.
Britney Arendse, the last Irish athlete in action, posted three personal records in the women’s up to 79kg powerlifting final but was unsuccessful in securing a medal, ending in fourth place. Despite missing out on the podium, Arendse was pleased with her performance, setting personal bests of 129kg, 131kg, and 133kg after having qualified for the Paralympics with a 128kg lift.
The competition was won by Han Miaoyu from China, who established a new world record with a 154kg lift. Nigeria’s Bose Omolayo and Egypt’s Safaa Hassan won the silver and bronze medals with lifts of 145kg and 139kg respectively.
Arendse expressed delight at her achievements and the support she received from family, friends, and compatriots in the crowd. She disclosed her eager anticipation to spend time with her loved ones following a nerve-wracking wait to compete.
Earlier, Kilkenny native Mary Fitzgerald had completed her F40 shot put event at the Stade de France, where she finished in the eighth position.
A 24-year-old athlete, who was previously ranked fifth due to her personal record of 8.87m, could only manage a throw of 7.64m at the Stade de France on a chilly and cloudy day in Paris. “There are days when things simply don’t go as planned, and today was one of those days.” commented the sportswoman later. She expressed her disappointment with the unexpected weather, despite her rigorous training under warmer conditions. But she emphasized that she gave her all regardless.
The gold medallist was Lara Baars from Netherlands who established a fresh Paralympic record by throwing 9.10m. Renata Sliwinska of Poland, scoring exactly 9m, bagged the silver medal and was the only other female contestant to reach nine meters. The former global champion Raja Jebali from Tunisia secured bronze with 8.66m.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, in the women’s C1-3 road race in Clichy-sous-Bois, Richael Timothy came 11th. She completed the 56.8km course in 1:48:47, while the Japanese participant Keiko Sugiura clinched the victory, finishing the race in 1:38.48.
In an unexpected development, equestrian competitor Sarah Slattery received a last-minute selection on Saturday. Upon another rider’s withdrawal due to veterinary checks, Slattery was summoned that Saturday morning. The equestrian from Galway seized this chance and participated in the Grade V Freestyle at the Chateau de Versailles. She recorded her career-best score of 71.795 to end up in the seventh position overall.
“It was straight-up a fairytale,” she exclaimed. Not only was it her second international freestyle competition, but she also achieved a personal best score. “I didn’t foresee myself reaching the freestyle final, given my initial objective was merely to qualify for the Irish team and enter the top 10.” she added.