2008 PARALYMPIC GAMES:ARCHER SEÁN HEARY upset the world rankings yesterday when the Navan man, ranked 20th out of 20 competitors in the elimination phase, shot his way past fourth-ranked Sung Kil Go of South Korea to reach the Paralympic quarter-finals in Beijing.
On the fifth day of the competition, Heary scored 113-112 to pip Sung, registering 29 out of a possible 30 from his last three arrows to win by a single point in a thrilling finish. "I'm stunned, thrilled and delighted. I kept a complete focus on my own performance," said Heary, who faces Switzerland's Philippe Horner in today's quarter-final match.
The Irish combined BC1-BC2 boccia team saw its remarkable tournament come to a close after the team, captained by individual bronze medalist here in Beijing Gay Shelly and including Tom Leahy, Bobbie Connolly and Padraic Moran, came up against home favourites China in their quarter-final match in front of the vocal home crowd. The team lost 12-2 to the home side, unable to reproduce individual form in the team event.
Over at the Water Cube, Dublin teenager Ellen Keane finished sixth in the 200 metres Individual Medley (SM9 Class) heat, slicing more than two seconds off her previous best and setting a new Irish record. While not enough to qualify for the finals, Keane can be happy with her performance at her first Paralympics and her coach said she has her eyes set firmly on London in 2012.
Visually impaired swimmer Stephen Campbell from Cookstown also scored a new Irish record in the 400 metres Freestyle event (Class S11) at 5:28.43, shredding his previous best by over six seconds. This put him sixth in his heat and 10th overall.
At the Paralympic sailing venue in Qingdao, Paul McCarthy, Paul Ryan and Richard Whealey produced the best sailing result for the Irish so far with a positive performance in the Sonar (three-person keelboat) placing fifth in race six to leave them lying 11th overall with five races remaining.
In the Skud 18 (two-person keelboat) class Amy Kelehan and John Twomey remain in 10th place overall after another 10th place finish in race six of their campaign also. Races seven and eight in both classes were also scheduled for yesterday but with a distinct lack of sufficient wind in Qingdao, those races could not take place.
In track and field, Patrice Dockery just missed out on a place in the 100 metres (T53 Class), while Athens silver medalist John McCarthy also was just short of winning a place in the final.
There will be major focus on the Irish seven-a-side football team, who take on Britain in their final group game of the competition hoping for a win to see them through to the favoured classification match against the Chinese on Sunday. They will be without Derek Malone, who has been deemed not disabled enough for the sport.
