– Ryan Bailey reports from Pontal, Rio de Janeiro
EOGHAN CLIFFORD CONTINUED his dominance of the C3 Time Trial this afternoon as he powered his way to a sensational victory in Rio.
The Limerick native, who is a three-time World champion in this event, adds Paralympic gold to the bronze he won in the Individual Pursuit on the track last Friday.
Clifford finished in a time of 38:21.79 around the 30km course to beat Masaki Fujita of Japan and Canada’s Michael Sametz. His margin of victory was a whopping one minute and eight seconds.
The 35-year-old joins Jason Smyth, Michael McKillop and the tandem pair of Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal in winning gold at these Games and brings Ireland’s overall medal tally to six.
The lecturer had been struggling with a debilitating knee injury, due to a degenerative muscle disease, but he showed no signs of pain as he obliterated the rest of the field with a performance which emphatically underlines his supremacy at this level.
“Physically it was painful,” he admitted. “Power wise it wasn’t one of my best ever rides. I was really disciplined during the ride.
“I was a bit angry, I wasn’t happy with the ride earlier in the week and wanted to prove that I am a better rider than that.”
Even a problem with his chain midway through the race couldn’t derail his bid for gold, as he justified his status as pre-race favourite.
He will go into Friday’s road race with the same mantle, and few would bet against him winning a third medal of this glorious Games.
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Peter o’mahoney was by far the best player on the field. Turnover after turnover he made. Tadgh did well but peter was a class apart
@Brian Jones: two superb players who both brilliantly; agree Pete may have shaded it
@Brian Jones: to be pedantic about it he made turnover after turnover after turnover. It’s in the article… he made 3 turnovers.
@Timmy O’Toole: *played
@Brian Jones: I’d say it was a close call. Probably Furlong playing for longer helped his case. I thought they were both amazing out there. Fair play to them all.
@Fergal O Lachtnain: 2 of which gave us 6pts in a game we won by 5. It’s not the amount, but the importance of them.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: well furlong scores a try which gave us 7 points…
I love the Irish fans. Not happy when we win, we then have to claim the best player came from munster instead of Leinster or vice versa.
Anyway sexton was the big difference between this week and last.
@sup: you’re the first one here to mention Munster or Leinster so your projection won’t change the fact that even an RTÉ commentator could’ve told you this particular game was won in the backrow with the amount of breakdowns and turnovers there were.
Pure Wexford Beef.
@Kieran Campbell: he gets his strength from his mothers side, west cork beef!!!
@E Coughlan: chip
@Marcodub: wow it took you all day to get out from under your rock did it?
I knew some gimp would get upset by my joke, no surprise who it is do.
He’s some man for one man! Such a nice humble guy.
@Sam Harms: Best prop in world rugby and seems like a pretty decent human too.
Furlong was great, but I have to agree with most on here and say POM was MOTM. Lots of great performances out there today. Next week will be brilliant
Furlong has been Ireland’s best and most consistent performer for the last 18 months. Always gives 100% and solidifies the scrum every time he is on the field. He also brings another dimension in play
Sad thing it was great performance today by a host of players, a great win and instead of celebrating some people are still going on about Munster/Leinster. Get over yourselves lads. Furlong had a great game and so did POM. You think either of them care who got MOTM? Not all all.
@Eddie Hekenui: Im a connacht supporter, not a leinster or munster supporter. I see it as it is in connacht very well, so i undetstand quality when i see it no matter the province
What!? POM didn’t get it? Jaysus!
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: cause Furlong was better
@Marcodub: is that you, Reggie?
I hope our team win the World Cup. Our country and people deserve it.