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Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Day 9: Patrick O’Leary into canoe sprint semi-finals

McClements and Flanagan miss out in swimming heats on a quiet day for Ireland

Patrick O’Leary is into two canoe sprint semi-finals after his Games got off to a strong start on day nine in Tokyo. Photograph: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Thu Sep 2 2021 - 07:11
  • Swimming: Barry McClements rounds off Games; Patrick Flanagan misses out in opening heats.
  • Canoe sprint: Patrick O'Leary qualifies for two canoe semi-finals.

Swimming

It has been a quiet day for Team Ireland, with just three athletes in action on the ninth day in Tokyo.

Among those were swimmer Barry McClements, who had been Ireland’s first athlete to compete in Japan. He rounded off his Games overnight with a fourth place finish in the heats of the S9 100m butterfly.

A time of 1.02.83 saw the 19-year-old finish 10th overall in the heats as he said goodbye to the Tokyo Aquatics Centre - he managed three PBs in total across his four events.

And McClements was pleased with his efforts at the Games: “I always knew I would final here and I did final. I can’t beat myself up too much, but, looking forward to Paris, and yeah I have full confidence in myself that I will be on the podium there.”

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Patrick Flanagan was finally able to make his Paralympics bow on day nine in Tokyo. Photograph: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Patrick Flanagan has had to wait far longer to make his Tokyo bow however and he officially became a Paralympian as he took to the water in the S6 400m freestyle.

Flanagan swam a time of 5.40.48 to finish seventh in his heat - he is back in action tomorrow in the S6 100m backstroke.

After making his Paralympics bow, he said: "My mum is probably like going crazy right now, I’m just so happy to be here and they were so good to me”

Canoe sprint

Another Irish athlete whose Games began overnight was Patrick O’Leary in the canoe sprint - and he progressed from both of his heats at Sea Forest Waterway.

Cork’s O’Leary is into tomorrow’s semi-finals of the KL3 after he posted a time of 43.502 to finish fifth in his heat.

He followed up with a time of 54.70 to qualify for the semi-finals of the VL3 Va’a - an event he's European champion in - which get underway on Saturday.

After his opening efforts, he said: ""They were both good races. I got a really good race in the Va'a, had a bit of a wobble in the middle so that's something to work on but I got it back together again towards the end in a fairly stacked heat so I'm pretty happy with that.

"The KL3 was also stacked but in some ways I'd prefer to have those guys in the heat because that means I'll avoid them in the semi when I get the draw later on.

“It’s great to get those first races done because generally speaking I improve as regattas go on. Only the winners went straight through to the final so the stakes were relatively low and getting a hit out at no cost to me was really important.

“I have a better idea of where I am in the kayak and think I’ll be there or thereabouts in terms of making the A final. The problem with the Va’a is that there’s a lot of non-Europeans in them that we hadn’t seen yet this year and they were showing some style out there today. Just looking forward to the semi-finals now.”

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