PARALYMPICS IRELAND HAILED Niamh McCarthy as “one of the very best discus throwers in the world” as the Cork native announced her retirement on Thursday.

Carrigaline’s McCarthy twice represented Ireland at the Paralympic Games, winning silver in the F41 event at Rio 2016 as well as a host of other major international honours.

A two-time European champion in 2018 and 2021, McCarthy also retires with two world championship medals, having won silver in London in 2017 and bronze in Doha in 2019, as well as a European bronze in 2015.

Her final international appearance in an international singlet came at the deferred Tokyo 2020 games earlier this year, where she finished fifth.

“Now is the right time for me to step away from the sport having competed on the biggest stage in Tokyo one last time,” she said on Thursday.

“I have loved every minute of it, I have made great friends, seen some wonderful places and reached heights that I could only imagine when I turned up to a talent ID day back in 2013.

“I am now going to concentrate on my own life and career away from the throwing circle but I will always have a keen interest and love for Paralympic Sport.

“I want to thank all of those that have supported me on my journey in sport; my family, friends, coaches, Paralympics Ireland, Sport Ireland and so many others. I think that I have given you all some good memories, I know I will take a lot of great memories away from my time as a high performance athlete.”

Dave Malone, Paralympics Ireland’s high performance director, hailed McCarthy as “one of the very best discus throwers in the world”.

“She has achieved on the biggest stage at multiple European and World Championships along with winning silver at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

“Paralympics Ireland will now work closely with Niamh to help her transition away from sport and provide all the supports that she may need for her next chapter.”