– Ryan Bailey reports from Rio de Janeiro
IRELAND’S MEDAL TALLY at this Paralympic Games has reached eight after Orla Barry won silver in the F57 discus final this morning.
It is the 26-year-old’s second Paralympic medal after she won bronze at London four years ago.
Barry’s best throw of 30.06, coming in her third of six attempts, saw her go one better and claim silver behind Nassima Saifi of Algeria. The Cork native was 3.27 metres off gold.
“It feels fantastic, it really does but I don’t think it has sunken in,” she said.
“I think wait until the ceremony later this evening and then I’ll really feel it. There were doubts during the week so to throw over 30 metres is fantastic, any day you do that it’s a good day. I am delighted to come through in the end.
It now means Team Ireland have reached their pre-Games target following a memorable day on Wednesday which yielded four medals. With four golds, two silver and two bronze, Ireland lie 25th in the medal table.
Competing in her third Games, Barry’s first throw was a foul but she soon established her position in the medal places with an effort of 29.22 second time around.
After settling the initial nerves, the discus-thrower was soon finding her form and although 30.06 was 1.18 metres off her personal and seasonal best, it proved enough to earn silver at Rio’s Olympic Stadium.
“I go in with a plan of telling myself ‘you must get your best throws into the first round’ because by the time the second time comes around you’re tired, you’re hot and you’ve been out there for a long time,” Barry continued.
“The adrenaline isn’t as high as it is in the first round so you really have to be at your peak in the first round and then it’s almost like the second round is a bonus.
“In some competitions it might be a straight six and I just felt if I had a straight six I definitely would have improved on it, definitely. Just the break in the throwing just didn’t suit me today. It often happens to me in competitions when there’s a break, I don’t improve after.
“I knew as I was progressing in the first round my third one was probably going to be my best one. It’s a pity I couldn’t keep it going.”
Meanwhile, there was huge disappointment for Paul Keoghan in the T37 400m heats after he was disqualified for a false start.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
