TEAM IRELAND CELEBRATED its first Paralympic gold medal today, as Bethany Firth triumphed in 100m Backstroke Final.
Meanwhile, there was further good news for Irish fans, with Jason Smyth breaking the world record in the 100m T13 Heats at the Olympic Stadium.
With over a week still remaining of the Paralympics, here’s hoping that our great performances can continue.
What we learned today
- Plenty to celebrate for veterans
US swimmer Bradley Snyder won gold in the men’s S11 100m freestyle at the London Paralympics — a year after losing his sight when an improvised explosive device exploded in his face in Afghanistan.
The 28-year-old former US Navy lieutenant won the race in 57.43secs, with clear water between him and second-placed finisher Yang Bozun of China and Hendri Herbst Hendri of South Africa in third. In the US team, more than 20 of the 227 athletes are veterans.
Meanwhile, British former soldier Derek Derenalagi, who lost his legs when the army Land Rover he was travelling in hit a landmine in Afghanistan in the same year, meanwhile, competes in the men’s F57 discus final.
- Team Ireland has much to be pleased about
With stunning results from both Jason Smyth and Bethany Firth, along with some other notable displays, today will surely be remembered as a great day for Irish sport.
- Jody Cundy was more than a little aggrieved following a controversial decision by the judges
In the Velodrome, Britain’s Jody Cundy, the favourite in the C4/5 1km time-trial, was left angry and distraught after slipping out of the starting gate and being denied a restart by officials.
He was led away from the track shouting and swearing after throwing a water bottle, as British team officials lodged a protest. But world governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) held firm, blaming the slip on “rider error”.
- For someone who gets a lot of criticism, David Beckham is a really nice guy
David Beckham often gets criticised, but the classy manner in which he has undertaken his role as a global sporting icon should not be overlooked. British captain Dave Clarke praised the footballer for his part in promoting the blind five-a-side soccer event, saying:
“He’s a genuinely decent bloke who took a real keen interest in our sport and was absolutely genuine with us.“We’ve had several good luck message from him already.”
Headline of the day:
Ireland’s golden girl
Bethany Firth, 16, delivered an incredible performance to win gold, knocking 1.4 seconds from her time in this morning’s heat.
Highlights from Team Ireland
Coupled with Firth‘s stunning performance, Laurence McGivern came 8th in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S9 final at the Aquatics Centre. The 19-year-old unfortunately could not improve on his PB in the morning heats, recording a time of 1:02.39. Jonathan McGrath also looked impressive, coming fourth in the 400m Freestyle S8 Heats.
The Team Test Grade 1a Equestrian featured Helen Kearney, who ranked third out of 14, with an impressive score of 72.235. And in the Men’s Team Test Grade IV event, James Dwyer finished fourth with a score of 69.719.
In the Women’s Long Jump, Heather Jameson was 7th with a score of 4.11, while John McCarthy came 15th in the Men’s Club Throw F31/32/51, after registering a score of 20.36. And of course, as has already been mentioned, Jason Smyth met the heavy expectations on his shoulders, setting a new world record in tonight’s 100m T13 Heats at the Olympic Stadium. He will now compete in the final at 7.15pm tomorrow.
(Firth celebrates winning gold – INPHO/Ian McNicol)
In cycling, Colin Lynch was second in the Men’s Individual Pursuit C2 Bronze Medal Ride-off, while Catherine Walsh & Francine Meehan were fifth in the Individual 1KM Time Trial B. And in the Men’s Individual Pursuit C3 Qualifiers, Enda Smyth was seventh
Meanwhile, Sean Baldwin was 29th in the Shooting, while in table tennis, Philip Quinlan was defeated by Britain’s Rob Davies in the Men’s Singles M1 Preliminaries.
Also in table tennis, in the Women’s Singles F1-2 Preliminaries, Rena McCarron Rooney beat Jordan’s Maha Bargouthi, while Eimear Breathnach was unsuccessful in her encounter with France’s Florence Sireau.
And finally, rowing in the Paralympics for the first time ever, the Irish team produced a respectable performance, coming fifth with a time of 3:33.95.
The best thing we’ve read today:
This piece in The Independent on Brazil’s footballing excellence at the Paralympics is well worth a read.
Hero of the day:
We really can’t look past the phenomenal achievement of Bethany Firth, can we? And besides, we don’t want to jinx Jason Smyth just yet, given that his big race is tomorrow.
You said what?
“(Sport) is such a great tool so that people can get back in the swing of life, feel useful, feel productive and continue building on that team spirit that they learn in the military.“It’s just a great way for people to rehab and to get back into the swing of life.”
- Obama’s disability policy advisor Kareem Dale highlights the power of sport.
“I know I am in good shape and I am glad to be able to show this in my performance. It was disappointing not to make the Olympics but the Paralympics is always important to me and it is good to represent Ireland and hopefully medal for my country”
- Jason Smyth reflects on his incredible performance.
Medal table (as of 9.52pm, Friday August 31st)
Additional reporting: AFP
There won’t be a marriage equality legislation milked in Roscommon tonight…
@Phil O’ Meara: just take the rest of the day off your work here is done
Great performance from the Rossies .
I’ve a feeling this Roscommon team could go all the way and win it out
@Jamie: TAXI!!!!
@Martin McKenna:
Easy on the beer hahaha !!!
@Jamie: Is your brain broken or what?
2nd time to be completely embarrassed in the championship in two years. If we lose to Donegal in 2 weeks I think it could be time for change because the players are there to do better than we are doing. McStay had his tactics spot on.
@Damien Costello: Be afraid. You Will lose to Donegal. Donegal have been woeful so far but this team is young and gifted. They’re really to explode.
@Enda McCallion: Donegal have a very good young team and it would be unfair to judge them on the Tyrone result, they had a good league campaign and the result against Meath should bring them on a good bit. But Galway need a big result they have not won a knockout game against a top top side since they won the All-Ireland in 2001 and that’s not good enough. But I’d expect Donegal to win now after that miserable showing today.
As a galway supporter I say well played roscommon. This galway team will not do much as our defense is quite poor and fair play to the rossies for exposing that, best of luck in their next game.
Yeeeoow were gonna have a sam maguire before mayooo
@Jack: ya, ros will go all the way now :-/
Connacht final win in Salthill, doesn’t get much better than that.
Congratulations to Kevin McStay and all the players on the perfect display.
Roscommon Abu
Fantastic result for Roscommon. 1st Connacht title since 2010. Against the odds they dominated the game from beginning to end. The best team on the day by a distance. Onwards and upwards for the Rossies.
@SYM-Metal: weren’t you on here yesterday slagging off mayo and i people from castlebar? tell me again where roscommons manager is from paul? LOL!
@Dec: what ,your claiming Roscommon only won because they had a Mayo manager. Mayo made same claim about O Mahony managing Galway in 98 and 01 but when he went back to Mayo he couldn’t win anything. Leave it out .
@Finnster: no i’m not. i’m showing paul up to be the hypocrite that he is that he can slag off castlebar people one day and support a team managed by one the next. i’m delighted roscommon won as my wife is from roscommon. i would never like to be like yourself and paul scanlon who spend more time slagging off other teams than supporting there own. stop stretching for an argument finisher.
@Dec: it’s so easy to rile the Mayo supporters. I do support My team and Galway and Mayo won’t win any All Iteland this year .
@Finnster: sorry to tell u, i’m not riled. in my house growing up if we were beaten by galway we cheered them on for the rest of the year, because we’re neighbours and wanted gas in the west to do well. that would be fairly alien to you and scanlon. ye are the type that would curse a neighbour that had a better car, even if it was only for a few years. pretty sure mayo won’t win this year too but we came closer than anyone, including myself, thought we would. we’ll see how they get on this year.
@Dec: to be fair Dec you are way off the mark, I for years supported mayo as a second team and was probably at more mayo games than a lot of my mayo friends, I got sick of the showboating and cockiness from Mayo players and turned bitter. You may be one of the sound lads like my mates from Ballina so apologies.
@Dec: McStay’s success has nothing to do with where he was born, what a ridiculous notion. You say you are happy for Roscommon’s win today, yet you want to minimise their achievement by suggesting it’s because their manager is from Mayo? So It had nothing to do with the guts, grit and determination of a group of talented young footballers who worked their ass off in training to win this title? Today is their reward.
Didn’t say that Scanlon, read what I said to Finnster
McStay currently lives and has lived most of his adult life in Roscommon. His wife is a Roscommon woman and his daughers are Roscommon supporters.
When McStay seeked to manage his own county at senior level they said no to him. He has now moved on from that disappointment and has won Connacht for Roscommon totally against the odds and for the outsiders looking in he won Connacht without a number or quality footballers that couldn’t commit this year Neill Collins,David Keenan,Cathal Cregg or lads ruled out due to injury Kevin Higgins,Ultan Harney,Cathal Compton. After this success no doubt about it the best is yet to come for the rossies!
Where is all the haters now? Up Roscommon.
@Eoin Mulhern: We’re still here just a little quieter.
@Eoin Mulhern: right here, enjoy your moment . Shouldn’t be in it for too much longer.
@Richy: good man, cheers horse.
@Eoin Mulhern: Great display despite half the team leaving and turning their back on their county.
I love Roscommon…..
Come on the Rossies
Roscommon have some fantastic players as their recent underage success suggests.
Pound for pound Diarmuid Murtagh is as good a forward in the country, and if they can get Clann Na Gael pair Ultan Harney & Donie Shine back, they’ll be a match for anyone.
@Adelaide Kelly: good point, I made the same comment about diarmuid last year and how we were missing him, he’d walk on any team and I got destroyed, different class
@Adelaide Kelly: @Adelaide Kelly: donie shine was sitting where he should be. In the stands where he should be. He is no where good enough and hasn’t been for a long time.
Kevin has picked a panel that’s good enough to win Connaught. That panel should be supported and forget about the players that opted out or wer dropped.
@james murray: It’s only 7 years since he single handedly kicked Roscommon to a Cconnacht c’ship in 2010. He was the star player on that great minor team of 2006.
Enda Smith is a super talent also, would get on most teams in the land.
@Adelaide Kelly: 7 years and all he done was kick handy frees. What has he done for clann last two years. Very little.
@Adelaide Kelly: for the style of football Roscommon are playing he far to slow.
@james murray: He was the top club scoring forward by a mile when Clann won the county senior title two year ago. Last year when they won the league his scoring was the difference and this year between league and championship he’s the top scoring forward in the county. So far from very little… as for handy frees don’t ever underestimate the importance of a good free taker.
Tipperary all over again. Sheer arrogance exposes a mediocre Galway side again.
@Jack Strong: that and some ridiculously stupid short kickouts
@Jack Strong: tipperary are not in connaught , wise up.
@Michael Heery: I’m referring to their hammering of Galway in the quarters last year, you amadan.
@Jack Strong: you could only be a Mayo man taking such delight in Galway being beaten. Well done to Roscommon. We can take our beating in Galway .
You’re fairly fond of sticking the boot into Mayo yourself Finnster. Pot/kettle/black comes to mind.
@Spodo Comodo: indeed I am because ye can’t take yer bating and we will win Sam again before Mayo.
@Finnster: says the man with the obsession with mayo lol.
@Finnster: both teams piss poor :-D
@Hello there friend: agreed
@Patrick O’Sullivan: what ?
No stopping us now.
Great win for the rossies!
A Connacht championship is what these players deserve.
First and last football match I’ll watch this year
Lavelle is by far the stupidest keeper I’ve ever come across. What’s that saying about doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results? Fullback line (except maybe Kerins) for the scrap heap aswell……
@Michael Heery: wat dope it was obvious what he meant delighted for roscommon then again when you belive your own hype
Are the pairings known for the next round ?
Galway are playing Donegal, Mayo playing cork. Venues and times decided tomorrow
@Dec: limerick and Castlebar possibly.
@Dec: What about Tipp?
@Dec: Mayo 4 Sam :D
@Mick Power: they will be in the draw tomorrow with armagh, carlow and monaghan i think. The winners from those fixtures will play runners up in leinster and ulster. The other 3 will be hoping to avoid monaghan in the draw tomorrow i’d imagine.
Great result for Roscommon. I hope Gay Sheerin comes out publicly and apologises for his stupid comments earlier in the year. He has been proved very wrong today.
Thought Galway were very poor, going backwards fast after that result. Hard to see them getting anything against Donegal. Ref did them no favours at all though. He looked very unfit and unable to keep up with the play, gave at least two soft free’s to Roscommon because he was so far back from play.
Poor back 4 was cause of most of the trouble. Sort that out, and one had a decent team who may get to a semifinal, but not a chance of winning based on past 2 years performances.