Paralympics: The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen today announced a 45-strong Irish team destined for the Paralympic Games in Beijing this September.
This is the biggest Ireland team since the one sent to the Atlanta Games in 1996 and includes a number of medal hopefuls and two world champions who have already achieved on the biggest stage.
Derry sprinter Jason Smyth is the double world champion and world record holder in the 100m and 200m, while Michael McKillop is the current world champion at 800metres. Both have high hopes of winning more medals in Beijing to add to their already impressive haul.
Field athlete John McCarthy and swimmer Derek Malone both won silver medals at the last Paralympics in Athens, while Dave Malone picked up bronze in the Greek capital.
The Irish team will compete across nine sports and comprises ten track and field athletes, four cyclists (with two sighted pilot riders), one archer, four boccia players (a form of bowls for athletes with severe physical disabilities), a team of twelve footballers, six swimmers, five sailors, two table tennis players, and one dressage rider.
"I would like to congratulate the forty five athletes on their selection for the Games," said Cullen at today's team announcement in Dublin. "Very few of us get the opportunity to represent our country on the International stage; it's a tremendous honour that the athletes, their families and friends should be very proud of. I have no doubt that they will be great ambassadors for our country."
Speaking at the event Chef de Mission Jimmy Byrne said: "At a time when qualification is harder than ever before and most other western nations are seeing their teams diminish in size to have our biggest team since Atlanta is incredible. Huge credit is due to the PCI (Paralympic Council of Ireland) for their team building strategy."
The Paralympic team is fully integrated into the Irish Sports Council's elite support systems. Over €4million has been invested in Paralympic sport over this Paralympic cycle (2005 - 2008) and directly supports athletes under the International Carding Scheme. Part of the funding included a familiarisation camp for the team in Beijing last year.
Approximately 4000 athletes from 153 different countries will compete at the games which gets underway on September 6th and runs for 12 days.