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Ireland’s Roisin Ni Riain celebrates winning a bronze medal. Giorgio Scala/INPHO
looking ahead

Paralympic Breakfast: Ireland celebrate a momentous day in Paris

The team will be hoping to build on a terrific 24 hours, as Róisín Ní Riain and Orla Comerford both won medals.

DAY SIX was one to remember for Team Ireland at the Paralympics.

In five minutes, the country doubled its medal tally in Paris to four, as Róisín Ní Riain and Orla Comerford won bronze.

Consequently, it is a tough act to follow, but plenty of Irish athletes will be hoping to build on the duo’s success today.

Which Irish athletes are competing — and when can I watch them?

Para Cycling (Road): Richael Timothy is the first Irish athlete competing today. Her C1-3 Individual Time Trial Team is at 8.05am. Then, Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin are up in the B Individual Time Trial at 12.31pm. At 1.16pm Ronan Grimes competes in the C4 Individual Time Trial. Josephine Healion and Eve McCrystal are in the B Time Trial at 1.45pm followed by Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly at 1.53pm.

Para Athletics: Shauna Bocquet will feature in the T54 100m at 11.14am, while she aims to return for the event’s final at 7.34pm.

Para Equestrian: Sarah Slattery will participate in the Grade V Individual at 1.35pm.

Ireland Medal Watch 

Emulating the triumphs of day six will be a tall order, though at least one more medal is far from inconceivable.

Ireland’s best chance is surely in the Para-Cycling (Road).

Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal have already won a silver medal at these Games on the track.

However, this time they will not be competing together. Dunlevy’s bike is set to be piloted by Linda Kelly, while McCrystal competes alongside Josephine Healion.

Reigning world champions Dunlevy and Kelly, in particular, will fancy their chances.

Moreover, Dunlevy is also the reigning Paralympic champion in the event, though, in Tokyo three years ago, she was competing with McCrystal.

Do Not Miss…

Aside from the obvious (from an Irish perspective) B Time Trial, there is plenty more action to get excited about.

The legendary Jessica Long is certainly worth watching in Para Swimming.

The 32-year-old American is the eighth most successful Paralympian of all time. Since first competing in 2004, she has 29 medals in total, 16 of which have been gold.

She missed out on a medal in the 200m individual medley SM8 after finishing fourth but will be hoping to make up for that disappointment in the 400m freestyle S8, with her heat due to get underway at 9.28am and the final at 5.24pm.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something a bit different, it’s a big day in Para Table Tennis.

The Women’s Singles – WS10 – Gold Medal match is at 12.45pm with Australia’s Qian Yang and Poland’s Natalia Partyka competing for glory.

In addition, at 8pm, three-time gold medallist Lian Hao of China faces Poland’s Patryk Chojnowski in the Men’s Gold Medal – MS10 – match.

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