Róisín Ní Riain claimed Ireland’s first medal of the Paralympic Games with a superb swim to claim silver in the S13 100-metre backstroke final at the La Défense Arena in Paris on Friday night.
The 19-year-old Limerick swimmer, who finished fourth in the S13 100-metre butterfly final on Thursday night, delivered a brilliant second length in the backstroke showdown after an excellent turn at the halfway mark to push home for the silver medal.
Ní Riain, who is the current World Para swimming 100-metre backstroke champion, finished second in a time of 1:07.27.
The race was won by world and Paralympic record holder Gia Pergolini from the USA in a time of 1:04.93. Italy’s Carlotta Gilli was third in a time of 1:08.08. It is Ní Riain’s first Paralympic medal.