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IBS Athletes make the Irish Paralympic Team for Beijing 2008

July 2008

The Irish team for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing was officially announced by Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Mr. Martin Cullen T.D. Forty five elite athletes across nine sports will represent Ireland at the Beijing Games which get underway on September 6th, and run for twelve days. The official team kit, sponsored by O'Neills was also unveiled.

The Paralympic Games are elite Olympic style sports events for elite athletes with physical disabilities, or visual impairment, emphasising athletic achievement rather than disability. 4,000 athletes, from over 153 countries across twenty sports will compete at the Beijing Games. Athletes compete in various classes of competition and are classified according to their disability.

Making the announcement Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Mr. Martin Cullen T.D. said: "I would like to heartily congratulate the forty five athletes on their selection for the Games. Very few of us get the opportunity to represent our country on the International stage; it's a tremendous honour that the athletes, their families and friends should be very proud of. I have no doubt that they will be great ambassadors for our country."

The Irish team comprises ten track and field athletes, four cyclists (with two sighted pilot riders), one Archer, four Boccia players (a form of bowls for athletes with severe physical disabilities), a team of twelve footballers, six swimmers, five sailors, two Table Tennis players, and one Dressage rider.

Irish Blind Sports will be represented by the following athletes:

Tandem Cycling: Michael Delaney from East Wall in Dublin, along with his Pilot David Peelo from Bray, Co. Wicklow.

Tandem Cycling: Catherine Walsh from Swords, Co. Dublin, along with her Pilot Joanna Hickey from Rathfarnham, Dublin.

Swimming: Stephen Campbell from Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Athletics: Jason Smyth from Eglinton, Northern Ireland.

Michael Clarke, Chairman of Irish Blind Sports, said: “All in IBS are extremely proud of our athletes’ achievement in qualifying for Beijing; in doing so, they are flying the flag for blind sports people across Ireland. In wishing them well, I would also like to extend congratulations to all members of the Irish Paralympic Squad, as they make their final preparations for Beijing 2008.”

Noel Brennan is PCI Athletics Manager & Stephen Maguire is coach to Jason Smyth
Denis Toomey is Cycling Manager
Geraldine Conway is Swimming Manager
The Irish Paralympic team is being led by Chef de Mission, Jimmy Byrne