Team Ireland
Richael Timothy goes in the C1-3 road race, one of 14 competitors over the 56.3-kilometre course. The 29-year-old Galway cyclist finished 10th in the 500m time trial and seventh in the 3,000m individual pursuit on the track and 12th in the individual time trail on the road.
The former Roscommon footballer and Irish underage soccer international will he hoping that it can be fourth time lucky in her bid for a medal at the Paris Paralympics.
Britney Arendse (24) was born in South Africa but moved to Ireland with her parents aged five and she is one of eight competitors in the “up to 79kg” class in powerlifting. She began her Para Powerlifting career at the age of 16 after she was recruited to the sport during a wheelchair basketball match. Paris is her second Paralympic Games.
In 2018, Britney claimed a gold and bronze double at the World Para Powerlifting Fazza Championships, competing in the 67kg category. She continued her excellent form in 2018 as she went on to set a new Junior World Record in the 73kg category, becoming the first Irish powerlifter to do so.
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In 2019, Britney broke her own Junior World Record with a 100kg lift to win gold and bronze, which resulted in Britney moving to eighth in the World rankings from 11th. In March 2021, Britney won bronze in the 67kg category with a 102kg lift at the WPP World Cup in Manchester.
Kilkenny’s Mary FitzGerald joined the Irish Paralympic team in 2019, and since then she has competed at two world para-athletics championships (Dubai 2019, Paris 2023), the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (finishing seventh), and the 2021 European Para Athletics Championships (Bydgoszcz, Poland), winning a bronze medal.
She qualified as an occupational therapist after graduating from University College Cork in June 2022 and now works part-time as a paediatric therapist.
World Watch
At the Eiffel Tower Stadium, hosts France play Argentina in the blind football tournament gold-medal match (19:00). Blind football teams are made up of four outfield players and one goalkeeper, who is sighted. All players are blindfolded.
Matches are divided into two 20-minute halves and played on a pitch measuring 40 metres x 20 metres with boards running down both sidelines to keep the ball, which has rattles built in so players can locate it, within the field of play. In attack, the footballers are aided by a guide who stands behind the opposition goal.
Spectators are asked to stay silent during play and when players move towards an opponent, go in for a tackle or are searching for the ball, they shout “voy”.
Irish in action
8.30am: Women’s C1-3 Road race, Richael Timothy.
10.41am: F40 Shot Put final, Mary Fitzgerald.
4pm: Powerlifting (up to 79kg), Britney Arendse.
