Ireland at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Ireland at the Paralympic Games

Flag of Ireland
IPC code  IRL
NPC Paralympics Ireland
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London
Competitors 49 in 10 sports
Flag bearer Cathal Miller (opening)[1]
Gabriel Shelly (closing)[2]
Medals
Rank: 19		 Gold
8		 Silver
3		 Bronze
5		 Total
16
Paralympic history (summary)
Summer Games

Ireland competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom from August 29 to September 9, 2012.[3] There are 49 participants representing Ireland at the games, competing across ten sports.

These were the best Paralympics for Ireland since 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea winning 13 gold, 11 silver, and 18 bronze. For its efforts the Team was presented with a People of the Year Award in September 2012.[4]

Medallists

Medal Name Sport Event Date
 Gold Firth, BethanyBethany Firth Swimming Women's 100 metres Backstroke S14 31 August
 Gold McDonald, DarraghDarragh McDonald Swimming Men's 400 metre freestyle S6 1 September
 Gold Smyth, JasonJason Smyth Athletics Men's 100 metres T13 1 September
 Gold McKillop, MichaelMichael McKillop Athletics Men's 800 metres T37 1 September
 Gold McKillop, MichaelMichael McKillop Athletics Men's 1500 metres T37 3 September
 Gold Rohan, MarkMark Rohan Cycling Men's road time trial H1 5 September
 Gold Rohan, MarkMark Rohan Cycling Men's road race H1 7 September
 Gold Smyth, JasonJason Smyth Athletics Men's 200 metres T13 7 September
 Silver Walsh, CatherineCatherine Walsh
Meehan, FrancineFrancine Meehan (pilot) 		Cycling Women's Ind B Pursuit 2 September
 Silver Kearney, HelenHelen Kearney
on Mister Cool 		Equestrian Ind. Championship Test - Grade Ia 2 September
 Silver O'Neill, CatherineCatherine O'Neill Athletics Women's discus F51/52 7 September
 Bronze Ireland, TeamTeam Ireland Equestrian Mixed Team Championship 2 September
 Bronze Kearney, HelenHelen Kearney
on Mister Cool		 Equestrian Individual freestyle test grade Ia 4 September
 Bronze Barry, OrlaOrla Barry Athletics Women's Discus Throw F57/58 4 September
 Bronze Brown, JamesJames Brown
Shaw, DamienDamien Shaw (pilot)		 Cycling Men's road time trial B 5 September
 Bronze Walsh, CatherineCatherine Walsh
Meehan, FrancineFrancine Meehan (pilot)		 Cycling Women's road time trial B 5 September
Medals by sport
Sport Total
Athletics 4 1 1 6
Cycling 2 1 2 5
Equestrian 0 1 2 3
Swimming 2 0 0 2
Total 8 3 5 16

Key Moments

On 1 September, Paralympics Ireland celebrated one of their most successful days at any Paralympic Games by earning three gold medals.[5] Of these gold medals, two were world record breaking performances. Smyth, JasonJason Smyth retained his Men's 100 metres T13 title, by breaking his own world record with a time of 10.46 seconds, making him the fastest Paralympian in the world over 100 metres.[6] The same day, McKillop, MichaelMichael McKillop set a new world best of 1.57.22 in the Men's 800 metres T32 race, also retaining his win in Beijing.[7]
On 2 September, Walsh, CatherineCatherine Walsh accompanied by pilot Meehan, FrancineFrancine Meehan, won Paralympics Ireland's first ever cycling medal of any colour at the Paralympic Games.[8]

Athletics

Boccia

Cycling

Equestrian

Individual
Athlete Horse Event Total
Score Rank
Eilish Byrne Youri Ind. champ. test grade II 73.429 5
Ind. freestyle test grade II 75.250 4
James Dwyer Orlando Ind. champ. test grade IV 68.516 6
Ind. freestyle test grade IV 74.400 6
Helen Kearney Mister Cool Ind. champ. test grade Ia 76.700 2nd
Ind. freestyle test grade Ia 78.450 3rd
Geraldine Savage Blues Tip Top Too Ind. champ. test grade Ia 68.800 7
Ind. freestyle test grade Ia 72.300 5
Team
Athlete Horse Event Individual Score Total
TT CT Total Score Rank
Eilish Byrne See above Team 67.714 73.429 141.143* 428.313 3rd
James Dwyer 69.719 68.516 138.235*
Helen Kearney 72.235 76.700 148.935*
Geraldine Savage 68.000 68.800 136.800

* Indicates that score counts in team total

Powerlifting

Men
Athlete Event Result Rank
Roy Guerin -67.5kg 131.0 10

Rowing

Athlete(s) Event Heats Repechage Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Helen Arbuthnot (cox)
Sarah Caffrey
Anne-Marie McDaid
Kevin du Toit
Shane Ryan		 Mixed coxed four 3:33.95 5 R 3:34.85 4 FB 3:36.72 4

Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); R=Repechage

Sailing

Athlete Event Race Net points Rank
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11*
Anthony Hegarty
Ian Costelloe
John Twomey		 Sonar - 3 person keelboat 1177109102(13)1010style="background: #ececec; color: grey; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | N/A7611

* Due to a lack of wind Race 11 was cancelled

Shooting

Athlete Event Qualification Final
Score Rank Score Rank
Sean Baldwin Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 1112 17 Did not advance
Men's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 553 29 Did not advance
Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1 585 18 Did not advance
Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 589 43 Did not advance

Swimming

Table Tennis

See also

References

  1. ↑ Paralympic site
  2. ↑ "Shelly given flag honour". Herald. Retrieved September 9, 2012.,
  3. ↑ "Ireland - 2012 Paralympic News, Athletes, Medals". LOCOG. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Heroes at national and community levels honoured in emotional ceremony". The Irish Times. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Michael McKillop makes it three gold medals for Ireland". RTÉ News. 1 September 2012.
  6. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/19446549
  7. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/19446549
  8. ↑ http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_6560.shtml

External links

Wikinews has related news: 2012 Paralympic Village occupied by competitors as nations ready for the Games