Róisín Ní Riain claims a first medal for Ireland at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games

Róisín Ní Riain claims a silver medal for Ireland at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games

Limerick’s Róisín Ní Riain ends Ireland’s wait for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games medal with silver in the S13 100m Backstroke on Saturday, August 31

Ireland’s wait for a medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games came to an end this past weekend as Róisín Ní Riain secured Team Ireland’s first medal at the Games as the 21-year-old swimmer clinched silver in the women’s S13 100m backstroke final.

Despite incredible competition, a field which included world-record holder Gia Pergolini, Ní Riain swam an impressive race with a time of 1:07.27 earning the Limerick athlete a silver medal and getting Ireland off the mark at the competition. The gold medal was never in doubt for American swimmer Gia Pergolini who came close to breaking her own world record with a time of 1:04.93. 

The silver medal is an incredible achievement added to Ní Riain’s young career, having narrowly missed out on a Bronze in the 100m Butterfly on opening day, Róisín is delighted with her 100m Backstroke Final performance which had the nation celebrating on Saturday evening.

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Speaking with RTÉ after receiving her medal, Róisin said, “I’m really happy to be able to come out here and medal tonight. It makes it especially that much nicer to do it with my friends and family all around me here.”

The Limerick swimmer noted the contrast between her first Paralympic Games in Tokyo three years ago which were held without spectators, she said, “Tokyo was so different with no one in the crowd, but I learned so much from that experience. Having such a nice crowd around tonight definitely made it so much fun.”

She noted the Paralympic Games in Paris is what she had been working toward with what has been a successful year for the swimmer, she said, “This is what all of us Paralympic athletes have been working towards for the past three years through this cycle. So to be here and to be able to perform tonight is really great.”

Ní Riain’s silver medal marks a promising start for Ireland at the 2024 Paralympics. Her Team Ireland teammate, Ellen Keane narrowly missed out on a Bronze medal in the SB8 100m breaststroke final where just 0.19 seconds separated Keane from third-placed Viktoriia Ishchiulova.

Róisín will be hoping for similar performances in the coming days as she returns to the pool on Tuesday, September 3 for the 200m Individual Medley, and again on Thursday, September 5 for the 100m Breaststroke.