Ireland’s James Scully swam a brilliant personal best time of 2:51.45 in the S5 200 metres freestyle final at the Paralympics in Rio. It was good enough for sixth place in a final won by the local favourite and Paralympian superstar, Brazil’s Daniel Dias.
The 23-year-old, Dublin born but living in Ratoath, knocked three seconds off his time in the heat, which was a season’s best mark in itself. Scully had finished fifth in the same race at the London Olympics in 2012 but should take great pride in setting a new personal best by such a whopping margin.
The Irishman was in a tussle for fifth to eighth places throughout the race, finishing in just under a second behind Sebastien Rodriguez. Dias, cheered to the rafters by a passionate and partisan Brazilian crowd, won his 11th Paralympic gold medal to go with four silvers and a bronze since first competing in Beijing, coming home 10 seconds ahead of the second placed finisher, America’s Roy Perkins.
Scully, draped in a tricolour, admitted: “It’s just amazing – a personal best, to finish with a lifetime performance is just (brilliant). I have won medals at Europeans and I really embraced those moments but to get here, get a personal best and get a top eight in the world is the best (feeling).
“I’m still not done here. I have two more races here, hopefully make the final in the 100 metres freestyle.”
Fifth in the 200m freestyle in London (2012) he came fourth at the world and European championships, won a bronze at the worlds in 2013 and two further bronze medals at the 2014 Europeans.
Meanwhile on the track Jason Smyth glided into Friday's Paralympics T13 100 metres final with an impressively authoritative performance in winning his heat in 10.76 seconds at the Olympic stadium in Rio.
The Irish athlete is chasing a third successive gold medal in the sprint having won in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). The man dubbed as the fastest ‘Paralympian on the Planet’ lived up to his billing, producing the quickest time over the two qualifying heats
Namibian Johannes Nambala (10.99) was second, Rataslav Zatanov (11.15), third, while the second heat was won by Australia Chad Perris in a time of 10.91, the latter expected to provide Smyth's main competition for the gold in Friday's final, which takes place at 3.09pm.
Smyth said: “It felt smooth. It is about getting through the heat, trying to with as little effort as possible because Friday is where it is at. I am happy getting through. I am going back to get some food, rest up and then come back on Friday and kick it up another notch.
“There are some things to work on in terms of the performance. The 100 metres is all about the first half of the race. That’s where you can do the biggest damage and it is very hard to catch back up. The only thing you can control is you (in relations to rivals) and that’s where my focus will be.”
Bethany Firth, who swam for Ireland in London and won a gold medal in the Women’s S14 100 metres backstroke final repeated that triumph in an impressive world record time but on this occasion in the colours of the British swim team.
