Ireland are on the Paris 2024 Paralympic medal table after Róisín Ní Ríain swam a superb race to finish second and claim silver in her S13 100m backstroke final on Friday night.
Having finished 4th in Thursday’s S13 100m butterfly final, Ní Ríain wasn't going to be denied a medal this time. The 19-year-old stormed to second place in a time of 1:07.27 to win her first Paralympic medal.
SILVER FOR IRELAND 🥈
Róisín Ní Riain secures Ireland's first medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games with a second-place finish in the women's S13 100m backstroke final#RTEparalympics #paris2024
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📱Updates https://t.co/ELWb2w3nNp pic.twitter.com/AKh7y4GlKB— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 30, 2024
Team USA’s Gia Pergolini won gold in 1:04.93, with Italian Carlotta Gilli taking bronze in 1:08.08. The experience of Thursday's race at the venue definitely stood to Ní Ríain as she felt fully focused and calm before the final.
I wasn’t too nervous. I don’t get overly nervous. I get more excited and I’m genuinely very excited every time I get out to race, especially when the backstroke is probably my favourite event.
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Róisín competes in the S13 category for athletes with a visual impairment and following her medal ceremony, the Limerick swimmer was ecstatic with the result telling RTÉ:
I’m delighted with that swim. It makes it extra nice to be able to do it with my friends and family coming to watch as well. A lot of my training group are here too, and for my family to be here, my three sisters who all swim, it's definitely nice to do it with them around,
There were heart-warming scenes as Ní Ríain was greeted by friends and family outside the arena after she received her medal.
When questioned on how she felt after receiving the medal she had worked so hard for, she responded by commenting on the weight of it "It's heavy".
"It's heavy!"
Róisín Ní Ríain revels in her silver medal success, while surrounded by friends and family #Paris2024 #rteparalympics pic.twitter.com/K1EeygpANP— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 30, 2024
Remarkably, at just 16 years old, Róisín was the youngest athlete competing at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games and to her credit she even made five finals.
The UL student will have a short break before returning to the pool on Tuesday for the 200m individual medley, with her fourth and final event, the 100m breaststroke rounding off her Paralympics two days later.
