Paralympics: Ireland's cyclists posted two national records in Beijing's Laoshan Veldrome on the opening day of competition at the 13th Paralympic Games.
First time Paralympian Enda Smyth from Santry finished seventh in the 3km Individual Pursuit (CP4 class) smashing his own Irish record by 2.674 seconds to lay down a new mark of 3:55.919.
Tandem pair Michael Delaney with sighted pilot rider David Peelo (B & VI 1-3 class) followed, and recorded a thirteenth place in the 4km Individual Pursuit.
The second Irish record (1:16.208) of the day came from Catherine Walsh with sighted pilot rider Joanna Hickey (B & VI class) in the final of the women's 1km time trial. The duo took 2.318 seconds off their previous best, in a final where Britain took gold in world record time (1:09.066).
Afterwards Irish cycling manager Denis Toomey said: "I am over the moon with the results, two Irish records is fantastic and we are on schedule with what we planned. While I am disappointed for Michael and David I expect they will be back on form tomorrow."
Sydney gold medalist Gay Shelly held the honour of being the first Irish athlete into action when he opened his account in his pool match of the individual Boccia competition with a 5-2 win over Brock Richardson of Canada.
Shelly's team mates; Bobbie Connolly, Pádraic Moran and Tom Leahy, also started their campaigns, while teenage swimmer Ellen Keane raced in the Water Cube, and Eimear Breathnach featured in the individual table tennis competition.
Following Shelly's opening win Leahy entered the fray in the individual Boccia competition but suffered defeat to Risa Kainuma of Japan (2-4).
Boccia is a form of bowls for athletes with severe physical disabilities, and the four Irish representatives are competing in the individual and team competition at these Games.
Dubliner Connolly followed in her first pool match but was bettered by her Chinese opponent Fei Cao, in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, losing out 5-0. Moran from Bray is the only member of the Irish boccia team to debut at these Games and he produced the result of the day defeating his British opponent and world number two David Smith by a whopping 9-0.
Afterwards in the mixed zone Moran said: "I focused on every shot and didn't let the occasion get to me. I treated it like a training match. A couple of balls went wonky in the first end but I didn't let that get to me. I know I have the ability but
to beat him by that much was just unbelievable. Every shot I knew I could make it. If you're given an opportunity you have to take it."
There was little rest for the Irish foursome as they faced into their second pool matches in the afternoon session. Shelly took his best form with him and in a thrilling contest defeated Ibarbure of Argentina 3-2 (BC1 class) to head into tomorrow's final two pool matches in good shape.
Leahy (BC2 class) lost out 5-1 to Britain's Dan Bentley leaving himself with a lot to do if he is to progress to the quarter-finals. Connolly (BC2 class) reversed her morning result to beat Roberto Leglice of Argentina 4-3 ahead of the final pool stages tomorrow. Moran (BC1 class) was last of the four out and came out the wrong side of a 4-2 result against Antonia Marques of Portugal.
Across the Olympic plaza at the Water Cube, Clontarf's Ellen Keane had to endure unwelcome disruption ahead of her heat of the 100m Butterfly (S9 Class) when the programme was pushed back by over an hour and was followed by starting difficulties.
Despite the distraction the teenager still got to within 0.34seconds of her best ever time in the event, finishing in sixth place. However that wasn't enough to progress to the final. Keane will race in her favoured event, the 100m breaststroke, on Tuesday.
The final Irish competitor on day one was Eimear Breathnach in the individual table tennis event. In her Paralympic debut the Ballinteer native lost out to Nadezda Pushpasheva of Russia by three sets to one.
Day two will be an even busier day for the Irish with fifteen athletes and the 7-a-side football team set to compete. The footballers will play their first group match against Iran at lunchtime local time tomorrow. Although they missed out
catching the Irish win over Georgia yesterday due to the time difference they were delighted to receive letters of support this week from Giovanni Trapatonni, Robbie Keane and Kevin Kilbane.
In Boccia the Irish quartet are out again in their final pool matches and should they progress they will also secure quarter-final action. In Hong-Kong, Dressage rider Eilish Byrne will compete in the Championship Grade 2 event.
First time Paralympic cyclist Cathal Miller will seek to reach the final of the 4km Individual Pursuit on the track, racing in the qualification in the morning, with the final scheduled for the afternoon. Michael Delaney and David Peelo race again; this time in the 1km time trial final
Eimear Breathnach will play her second table tennis match with Kathleen Reynolds playing her first. Ireland's sailors; John Twoomey and Amy Kelehan in the Skud class, and Paul McCarthy, Paul Ryan and Richard Whealey in the Sonar will begin their campaigns of eleven races each tomorrow in Qingdao.
The athletics programme begins in the Bird's Nest stadium tomorrow with two of the Irish throwers in action. World Championship bronze medalist Garrett Culliton goes in his discus competition, while Offaly's Eoin Cleare in the Shot Putt (F32 class).
Irish Team Paralympic Results
Day 1: Sunday, September 7th
Boccia
Gabriel Shelly
Ind. BC1 1st Pool Match
Won 4-2, beat B.Richardson, Canada
Padraic Moran
Ind. BC1 1st Pool Match
Won 9-0, beat D.Smith, GB
Tom Leahy
Ind. BC2 1st Pool Match
Lost 4-2 to R.Kainuma, Japan
Roberta Connolly
Ind. BC2 1st Pool Match
Lost 5-0 to F.Cao, China
Gabriel Shelly
Ind. BC1 2nd Pool Match
Won 3-2, beat M.Ibarbure, Argentina
Padraic Moran
Ind. BC1 2nd Pool Match
Lost 4-2 to A.Marques, Portugal
Tom Leahy
Ind. BC2 2nd Pool Match
Lost 5-1 to D.Bentley GB
Roberta Connolly
Ind. BC2 2nd Pool Match
Won 4-3, beat R.Leglice, Argentina
Cycling
Enda Smyth
3km Ind. Pursuit Qualification CP4
7th in 3:55.919, PB &new Irish record
Michael Delaney + David Peelo
4km Ind. Pursuit Qualification B&VI (1-3)
13th in 4:49.911
Swimming
Ellen Keane
100m BFly Heats S9
6th in heat in 1.18.50
Cycling
Catherine Walsh + Joanna Hickey
1Km TT Final B&VI (1-3)
7th in 1:16.208, PB & Irish record
Table Tennis
Eimear Breathnach
Singles F1-2 Round 1
Lost 3-1 to N.Pushpasheva, Russia
Irish Team Schedule
Day 2: Monday, September 8th (all times Irish)
2:13am Equestrian
Eilish Byrne
Championship Grade II
Sha Tin, Hong Kong
2:00am Boccia
Gabriel Shelly
Ind. BC1 3RD Pool match v T.Kitani, Japan
Fencing Hall of National Convention Centre
Padraic Moran
Ind. BC1 3rd Pool Match v L.Sanders, N Zealand
2:30am Cycling
Cathal Miller
4km Ind. Pursuit Qualification LC1
Laoshan Velodrome
3:00am Boccia
Tom Leahy
Ind. BC2 3rd Pool match v F.Ferreira, Portugal
Fencing Hall of National Convention Centre
Roberta Connolly
Ind. BC2 3rd Pool Match v P.Cortez, Argentina
4:20am Table Tennis
Eimear Breathnach
Singles F1-2 Round 2*
Peking University Gym
5.00am Boccia
Gabriel Shelly
Ind. BC1 4th Pool match v J.Park, Korea
Fencing Hall of National Convention Centre
Padraic Moran
Ind. BC1 4th Pool match v R.Aandalen, Norway
6:00am Sailing
Amy Kelehan + John Twomey
Scud18 Race 1,2
Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre
Paul McCarthy, Paul Ryan + Richard Whealey
Sonar Race 1,2
Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre
6:30am Football Team - Football 7-a-side
Ireland v Iran
Olympic Green Hockey Field A
7.00am Cycling
Michael Delaney + David Peelo
1 Km TT Final B&VI (1-3)
Laoshan Velodrome
8.20am Cathal Miller
Ind. Pursuit Final LC1*
Laoshan Velodrome
9.30amBoccia
Gabriel Shelly
Ind. BC1 Quarterfinal*
Fencing Hall of National Convention Centre
Padraic Moran
Ind. BC1 Quarterfinal*
Fencing Hall of National Convention Centre
Tom Leahy
Ind. BC2 Quarterfinal*
Fencing Hall of National Convention Centre
Roberta Connolly
Ind. BC2 Quarterfinal*
Fencing Hall of National Convention Centre
9.40am Table Tennis
Kathleen Reynolds
Singles F3 Round 1 & Round 2*
Peking University Gym
10.00 Athletics
Garrett Culliton (Throwing 10th of 12 athletes)
Discus F33/34/52
National Stadium
10.05am Eoin Cleare (throwing last of 7 athletes)
Shot Putt F32
National Stadium
11.40am Table Tennis
Eimear Breathnach
Singles F1-2 Round 3*
Peking University Gym
* Subject to progression through the competition