On an exciting Tuesday evening in Paris, Team Ireland witnessed a moment of glory as athletes Róisín Ní Riain and Orla Comerford both brought home bronze medals from the Paralympic Games. In just little more than five minutes, the total medal count for Ireland was doubled, jumping from two to four thanks to standout performances both on the field and in the water.
In the gripping final 50 metres of the SM13 200m individual medley final at La Défense Arena, it was Ní Riain who emerged triumphant, seizing third place with a record time of 2:27.47. This personal best for the swimmer from Limerick beat her own previous record of 2:29.11. After previously claiming silver in the S13 100m backstroke final on Friday, it was her second victory of the Games.
Relishing her achievement, Ní Riain remarked, “After consistently finishing fourth in this event, I’m overjoyed to have finally notched up a third-place finish. I’m thrilled with my performance.”
Simultaneously, Comerford delivered a spectacular performance to clinch bronze at the Stade de France in the T13 100m final, shortly after Ní Ríain’s triumph across town. Clocking a time of 11.94 seconds, the 26-year-old expressed joy at the support she had received, saying, “It’s amazing. With so much encouragement from Ireland, it feels as if we’re competing on home turf.”
Having heard about Ní Riain’s feat, the sprinter from Raheny Shamrock aptly described their shared victory: “We are bronze sisters this evening.”