Ellen Keane and Michael Murphy will bear the Irish flag at the Stade de France for the Paralympic Games finale on Sunday evening. This will signify Keane’s last duty as part of Team Ireland since she is bowing out of international competitions.
Simultaneously, on Friday at the Aquatics Centre, Barry McClements achieved a personal record and ended a fleeting 0.16 seconds from securing a medal during the S9 100m butterfly final at La Défense Arena. The 22-year-old swimmer from County Down concluded the race in fifth, having pushed hard in the second half of the event after turning at the wall in the sixth spot.
McClements clocked a time of 1:01:24, surpassing his previous best of 1:01:39. Australian Lewis Bishop took the third place with a time of 1:01:08. Italy’s Simone Barlaam clinched the gold with a record European time of 57.99 seconds, as Timothy Hodge from Australia secured silver with 1:00:03.
Reflecting upon his performance, McClements said, “Although it’s a bit of a mixed feeling, it’s hard to be upset when I managed to set a personal best. I’m indeed capable of reaching the bronze-winning time, so I can’t help but feel a bit bittersweet.”
In other news, Aaron Shorten ranked seventh during his inaugural Paralympic appearance in the T20 1,500m final at the Stade de France. The 21-year-old clocked his season’s best with 4:02:71 in a race that saw United Kingdom’s Ben Sandilands setting a new world record time of 3:45:40.
Sharing his sentiments post-race, Shorten disclosed his feelings of mixed emotions. His aspiration was to complete the race in under four minutes, a goal that he unfortunately missed. Despite this, he remains undeterred, proudly reflecting on achieving his season-best during his inaugural Paralympic final, a feat giving him much satisfaction. Shorten expressed his gratitude and pride for having fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a Paralympian, extending thanks to his family, mates, and supporters back home.
In the Women’s B road race, Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly claimed the silver medal. The competitive action on Friday at Clichy-sous-Bois didn’t stop with them, as Damien Vereker and pilot Mitchell McLaughlin took part as well, ending at an impressive eighth position in the men’s B road race.
Over the course of the day, Ronan Grimes battled a mechanical issue in his last lap of the men’s C4-5 road race. This unfortunate incident prevented him from a strong finish and concluding his final contribution to Team Ireland prior to retirement on a high. He had been in the 11th position commencing the last lap, only to end up 17th. However, Grimes maintained his positivity, appreciating the chance to complete his race instead of ending it prematurely. He confessed his desire to have secured a top 10 position as an ideal farewell, but regardless, he cherishes the experience fondly.
In other updates, Ireland’s equestrian team bagged the tenth position in the team event held at Versailles on Friday, advancing two spots from their performance three years prior in Tokyo.