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.

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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.