SIX MONTHS TO go.
It all started getting more and more real at Paralympics Ireland’s media event at the Sport Ireland campus this afternoon.
Today marks exactly six months to go to the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, which run from 25 August to 6 September.
“The turn of the year was when it really starting hitting reality that it’s 2020,” Patrick Monahan, a star wheelchair athlete who competed at Rio 2016, tells The42.
“It’s flying in now. There’s a lot that hopefully can stay on our side, but hopefully it’s all smooth.”
It’s being reported today that Tokyo 2020 is at risk of cancellation if the fast-spreading coronavirus is not contained by the end of May. Test events have been postponed due to the recent spread of the Covid-19 virus, but organisers are working hard to avoid disruptions in the summer.
For now, it’s full steam ahead with preparations and qualification bids.
“I got a big PB last year which put me in a really strong position,” Kildare native Monahan added. “I’ve done what I can. It comes down to slots and we’ll know more in June, but I’d be very confident that I’ll be fine.”
Fresh from his Para Cycling Track World Championship bronze medal, Monahan’s fellow Paralympic hopeful Ronan Grimes was also counting down the weeks.
“Like anything, you always think the event you’re going to do is miles away and then it turns out like you’re cramming for an exam by the end of it! Six months is not too long to go really,” the Galway man said.
“I’m looking forward to… at the moment I’m working full-time around training but come May, I’ll be taking a bit of unpaid leave from work. Really, it’s going to be great to get into complete focus, and commitment and dedication to training full-time.”
“Ever since I first sat in the saddle of my bike I have dreamt about qualifying for the Paralympic Games and representing my country,” he added. “I am in a good place personally after winning bronze at the Para Track World Championships in Canada last month and I feel like there is more to come from me.”
(We’ll have in-depth reads with both Monahan and Grimes on The42 in the coming days.)
Today marks 6 months to go until the #Tokyo2020 Paralympic Games #TeamIreland can’t wait to be there 🇮🇪 #RoadtoTokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/mqM49vgo2E
— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) February 25, 2020
Some 4,400 athletes from around 170 countries are set to take part in the Tokyo Games across August and September with 540 coveted gold medals up for grabs across 22 sports.
A 48-strong Team Ireland brought home 11 medals — four of those gold — from Rio last time out, and finished 28th on the medal table, two places inside their top-30 target.
As part of today’s event, all partners of Paralympics Ireland came together to mark the milestone and partake in the first-ever partners workshop, which provided everyone with key information ahead of the Games.
The Irish team will depart for Tokyo on 10 August from Dublin Airport to the holding camp which will be in Narita City, 71km from the Olympic Stadium.
They’ll stay there until 18 August, before moving to the Athletes Village in Tokyo. The cycling team’s holding camp will be in Masuda, while their Olympic accomodation is situated between Izu (track events) and the Fuji Speedway (road event).
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Jamie Cudmore up against O’Connell yet again. This one could get spicy.
Culmore isn’t fit to lace O Connells boots.
Cudmore is a thug and O’Connell is a legend of the game. No competition.
I agree Cudmore is a thug. But jesus he put in a shift today. Credit where credit is due and all that…
Cudmore and Lee smashed OConnell &Co backwards all night long.
Cmon the red army.
Best dressing room ever!!
I hope Munster don’t lose.they done enough whinging on here when they won against ulster the other week.imagine the cribs and crystal from them if they lose
Christmas can come early tonight…..Come on Munster!
Jesus Christ munster are brutal
A loss would end Munsters interest? That’s a tad presumptuous, a loss would be a major setback but they’d still have every chance to go through!
Come on Munster!!
Which Clermont will show up??should be a great contest..
Munsters game plan.
Do nothing for ages.
Get into the Clermont half
Drop the ball
Some first half performance from clermont, one of the best I’ve seen from an away side at thomond park.
Well done Clermont. Massive defense. Better team all round. Munster just not at the races today.
Munster tackling isn’t great.
Amazing from Clermont. Convincing winners. Completely deserved that. Their fans were amazing too. #16th man.
Munster need to pull out socks up rapidly. Keep it simple… simple.
Barnes… the rules apply to both teams hy the way
So many knock-on’s at crucial moments, most of them from Cronin.
Not good enough at this level.
Does wayne barnes be watching something entirely different to the rest of us?
thetruth, we’re not blaming the referee this time. He was 80% correct all evening. Munster just did not play the way we hoped they would.
#BringinJOE in for this team talk
Munster half backs are awful today.
They were behind a failing breakdown, so Murray was under enormous pressure all the time, so I wouldn’t blame him too much, but Keatley was pretty poor all round I thought.
Munster are just handing this game to Claremont
Clermont may have the points so far, but watching Munster, I can’t see them losing this. Come on the boys in red.
Wrong Peter.
All smart after the fact, eh, captain hindsight?
Munster made basic errors. Our kicking game was very poor. We butchered three separate mauls by dropping the ball and set piece was hit and miss. Injury meant there weren’t quality bench players to call upon and just beaten at our own game by a superior side.
keatley’s kicks tonight…??!
Media’s darling Conor
Murray’s kicks were even worse. Gerry Thornley won’t be able to do his usual love in if he’s reporting this game.
Clermont were up for this match tonight. Hugely intense & Munster couldn’t deal with it especially up front where Munster planned to dominate.
Some match as intense as a full test match.