Nicole Turner selected for Paris Paralympics
Offaly's Nicole Turner is among the first batch of athletes selected to represent Team Ireland at the Paralympic Games this summer. Seven athletes across two sports will fly to Paris for the Games which take place from August 28 to September 8.
It will be the Portarlington athlete's third Paralympics, after she took silver in Tokyo in 2021 and also competed in Rio in 2016.
The Tokyo silver medallist (she finished second in the women's 50-metre butterfly S6 section) goes into the games with great confidence having won gold, silver and two bronze European medals this year.
Also chosen was Colin Judge, who will represent Ireland for the second time in table tennis having competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Deaten Registe and Dearbhaile Brady will both make their Paralympic debuts in swimming. Registe recently made his international debut at the European championships and Brady goes into Paris with a European bronze medal from the same championships.
Meanwhile, Ellen Keane will be appearing at her fifth and final Paralympic Games. To date Keane has a Paralympic bronze and gold medal. She recently won European silver in Madeira and will be hoping to add to her tally in Paris.
Tokyo Paralympian, Commonwealth and European medallist Barry McClements will travel to his second Games in Paris. His path to the Paralympic Games this time around has not been easy having suffered a fractured femur in September 2023.
Róisín Ní Riain will be looking to impress at her second Paralympic Games. The Tokyo Paralympian and double World Champion who is currently studying at the University of Limerick had an outstanding European Championships winning five medals including two gold.
Speaking on the announcement, Paralympics Ireland Chef de Mission Neasa Russell said, “We are really delighted to be announcing the first of our Team Ireland for the Paralympic Games. We are incredibly proud of the performances the athletes have put in to get to this point and we are really looking forward to supporting them reach their potential at Paris. Tús maith leath na hoibre'”
Paralympics Ireland CEO, Stephen McNamara said, “It’s a very exciting day being able to announce the first of our athletes who will represent Team Ireland at the Paralympic Games. I want to congratulate the athletes as well as their coaches and families on this very special occasion. So much hard work goes into qualifying for the Games and this is a culmination of their efforts for the past number of years. We look forward to cheering them on in Paris.”