PARALYMPICS Irish Teenage Swimming Sensation Wins Paralympic Silver in the Pool

Irish teenage swimming sensation fourteen year old Darragh Mc Donald won Paralympic silver tonight for Ireland in the 400m freestyle (S6 class) in the Water Cube in Beijing. The Wexford swimmer qualified second fastest for the final from this morning's two heats of the event, when he swam a massive PB and new Irish record of 5:13.68.


In front of his family, Irish team mates, and a packed Water Cube to thunderous cheering the Gorey native showed tremendous nerve and focus for his tender years in tonight's final. He destroyed this morning's PB by just under four seconds hitting the wall in second place in 5:09.75; breaking his Irish record for the second time inside the space of a few hours.


The final was won in world record time by the reigning world champion Anders Olsson of Sweden in 4:48.31. With Olsson always going to be in command McDonald went out like lightening and by the second turn had edged the rest of the field. McDonald, who lines out for Asgard Swim Club in Arklow continued to stretch his lead over the next 300metres and had a whopping 10.7 seconds to spare over the bronze medalist Matt Whorwood of Great Britain at the finish.


McDonald's unexpected medal brings the Irish tally to four at these Games after Jason Smyth's sensational 100m (T13) win on the track last night, Micheal McKillop's 800m (T37) victory on Wednesday, and the leader of the pack bronze medalist Gay Shelly in the Indvidual Boccia competition on Tuesday last.

For Further Information contact the press officers to the Irish team:
Sinéad McElroy, smcelroy@irishsportscouncil.ie 087-6338512 or 008613911678098
John Fulham, communications@pcireland.ie 087-2709182 or 008613911678366