Swimmer Barry McClements set his third personal best time on Monday in the S9 100m Backstroke final. The Comber man battled gamely against a world class field to take over a second off his previous best.
Qualifying in 1:06.31 before swimming 1:05.76 for seventh place in the final, an even faster time is a real possibility for Paris as the 19-year-old develops greater strength to carry his tempo through the final 25 metres.
“I’m very happy, I got a big PB across the day and made a final, that’s what I’m here to do, get PB’s & show myself that what I’m doing is working,” said McClemments.
“My aim was to go 1:05 and not finish last. Overall in a final . . . a big step for me. I’ve already done what I have set out to do.”
Limerick teenager Róisín Ní Riain continued her impressive run in the pool and reaffirmed her exacting standards and strength of character. Post-race interviews with the 16-year-old have been bracing and revealing as she brusquely bats away compliments if she feels they are unwarranted.
Ní Riain superbly qualified for her fourth final from five events and was third in her heat of the S13 SM 200m Individual Medley before finishing sixth in the final in a time of 2:34.12 seconds.
“I’m quite disappointed because my PB is 2:33 but I’ve had a lot of events and a few finals so far,” said the teenager.
“It’s just about putting your head down and focussing each race one at a time and I have a day off tomorrow and then the 100m breaststroke on Wednesday.”
Shooter Philip Eaglesham opened his Tokyo 2020 campaign in an encouraging mode in the SH2 R4 qualifiers. Showing consistency in hitting the centre ring with 58 of his 60 shots, his final tally of 626.6 points was a new PB by a margin of three points and put him in 14th place overall.
It was not the Dungannon-born 39-year-old’s stronger event but provided him with valuable competition practice ahead of his favoured events later in the week.
Archer Kerrie Leonard's Paralympic experience came to an end when she lost to Stepanida Artakhinova of the Russian Paralympic Committee. Leonard was in contention throughout the head to head 1/8 round match until the third end where she shot a costly 24 compared to her opponent's 29. From that there was no way back.
