Ellen Keane, the reigning Paralympic champion, is hopeful about delivering her best performance in Friday’s Paralympic SB8 100m breaststroke final. The Irish athlete matched Britain’s Brock Whiston’s time of 1:24.59, securing a joint second-place in the qualifiers held at La Défense Arena in Paris. She shared her excitement about the final, which is slated for 7.21pm in Irish local time.
Anastasiya Dmytriv from Spain, the current world champion and a 16-year-old prodigy, emerged as the top qualifier with a stellar performance, clocking a time of 1:22.91.
Keane, attending her final Paralympics, expressed satisfaction with her qualifying time, confident she can increase her pace in the impending showdown. She spoke about enjoying the qualifying heat and the thrilling anticipation for the final. She is due for a lactate test and hopes her speedy recovery will allow her to perform at an optimal level for the final.
Sharing a room with fellow competitor Nicole Turner has stoked her competitive fire further, she said. Keane also spoke about being buoyed by the cheering crowds at the arena, including a group of 30 friends and family members. She took off her headphones just before her performance to soak in the crowd’s energy and excitement.
Whiston and Dmytriv pose the most significant threats to Keane. Whiston entered the Paralympics with the strong past performance of 1:16.82, even holding the class’s world record time with 1:13.83. Keane’s best timing to date stands at 1:19.93; achieved during her victorious run in Tokyo three years ago.
The reclassification of Whiston in the 100m breaststroke category has stirred discussions in the Para swimming world, and Keane most likely requires the best performance of her life to surpass her British adversary. Even so, after her glowing performance in the heat, the individual from Clontarf seemed to be in high spirits. She was seen joyfully acknowledging her loved ones in the audience before exiting the swimming complex.
Reflecting on her illustrious career and finding herself in the role of a veteran at just 29 years old, she said, “It’s humbling; regardless, I am extremely proud of my journey so far. But I have not finished yet.” She then expressed her eagerness for her final swim, mentioning she was very much ‘in the moment’.
She further revealed her post-race routine, which involves a chill-inducing ice bath, loading on carbohydrates, a likely visit to the physiotherapist if required, and finally, more food intake to be in full form for the evening’s competition.