Start every morning with The 42′s definitive guide to all the day’s action: when you need to be in front of the TV, who are Ireland’s medal hopefuls, and what other big stories should you look out for.
AND SO IT’S on to Day Two in Paris.
Team Ireland got their Paralympics campaign off the mark on Thursday with Nicole Turner and Róisín Ní Riain reaching their respective finals in the pool.
Ní Ríain finished fourth in the S13 100m Butterfly final, while Turner was sixth in the S6 50m Freestyle.
Meanwhile in archery, Kerrie Leonard scored a total of 653/720 in Thursday’s ranking round, which puts her in a position to face 2016 champion Jiamin Zhou of China for a place in the last 16. There were also some good performances in the velodrome.
The action continues today as Team Ireland look to build on a solid start in the French capital.
Which Irish athletes are competing — and when can I watch them?
Archery: RTÉ’s coverage of the Games begins at 8.30am but Kerrie Leonard will be in action at 8am as she takes on Jiamin Zhou of China in the Women’s Individual Compound Open Elimination.
Swimming: Ellen Keane will be in the pool later in the morning at 10.22am in Heat 2 of the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB8. Should she progress, the final will be at 7.12pm.
Róisín Ní Riain’s Women’s 100m backstroke S13 final will be on at 6.51pm.
Rowing: Katie O’Brien and Tiarnán O’Donnell will be in the water for Heat 1 of PR2 Mixed Double Sculls at 9.50am.
Cycling: Ronan Grimes competes in the Men’s C4-5 1000m time trial qualifying at 10.30am. The final will be at 2.57pm should he reach it.
Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal (pilot) are up next in the afternoon for the Women’s B 1000m time trial qualifying at 12.58pm. The final is at 3.34pm, should they advance.
Josephine Healion and Linda Kelly (piloted) are also in the Women’s B 1000m time trial qualifying at 12.58pm, looking to as the two tandems target progression.
Athletics: Shauna Bocquet will be on the track for Heat 2 of the 5000m at 11.11am this morning.
Greta Streimikyte will then round off Ireland’s second day of competition at the Paralympics when she features in the heats of the Women’s T13 1500m at 8.36pm this evening.
Team Ireland Medal Watch
Ireland have some medal hopefuls on their radar today.
Tokyo 2020 champion Ellen Keane will be aiming for the 100m Breaststroke SB8 podium once again before retiring. Defending her title is a huge challenge: Great Britain’s Brock Whiston is the favourite following her reclassification from SB9 to SB8, while Spain’s 16-year-old world champion Anastasiya Dmytriv is another rival.
Róisín Ni Riain is another big contender in the pool in a straight final of the Women’s 100m backstroke S13. This is the Limerick 19-year-old’s strongest event as the reigning world champion.
Medal watch should be focused on La Défense Arena, but keep an eye on the velodrome. Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal won two gold medals on the road in Tokyo, and renew their iconic partnership on the track (Women’s B 1000m time trial). Games debutant Josephine Healion will be piloted by Linda Kelly in the same event, while Ronan Grimes is in the Men’s C4-5 1000m time trial.
Do not miss…
In addition to Ireland’s programme of events, there are medals up for grabs in the final of the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1at 10.45am, and in the men’s and women’s doubles in table tennis. The final of the men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 Final is also down for decision at 1pm.
The gold medal fights in men’s and women’s taekwondo will be on from 8.46pm to 9.28pm.
- With reporting from Emma Duffy in Paris
