Sun. Oct 6th, 2024

Limerick swimmer earns silver in European Open Championships

Róisín Ní Riain has already secured her place in the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Róisín Ní Riain won silver in her first swimming final at the 2024 Para Swimming European Open Championships last Sunday.

The University of Limerick student finished the 100-metre butterfly final with a time of 1:06:32, just milliseconds shy of her 1:06:00 personal best.

The swim made her the first Irish competitor on the podium in the competition.

@ParalympicsIRE on X.

The Para Swimming European Open Championships are currently taking place in Madeira, Portugal and will run until April 27.

Ní Riain will compete again on Monday at 7.43pm in the 100m breaststroke final, the only Irish competitor swimming that evening.

The 18-year-old has been crucial in securing Ireland’s spot in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this August. The swimmer won gold and silver at the World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester last July in the S13 category for visually impaired athletes.

She is currently the World Para Swimming Champion in the 100m backstroke and also holds the world record in the 200m backstroke.

She progressed to five finals in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics as one of the youngest participants at just sixteen years of age.

ByGemma Good

Gemma Good is an Investigative Reporter and Photographer for the Limerick Voice. Gemma has had an interest in writing from a young age and first began pursuing a career in journalism in 2018 with her local newspaper The Anglo Celt. She has since worked there as a part time multi-media reporter and weekly columnist. She has covered a range of areas including current affairs, arts, agriculture and sport among others. Her interest in photography compliments her articles.