Join AUS Squad
Back To News
Jack Ireland stormed home on night three of the swimming to take a bronze in the men’s S14 200m freestyle, securing the medal at his first Paralympics after missing the qualifying time for the Tokyo Games.
Ireland, who has won silver in the same event at the 2023 World Championships and 2022 Commonwealth Games, took out third with a personal best time of 1:53.77, 2.47 behind the gold medallist William Ellard of Great Britain.
It was a solid swim from Ireland, who stuck to his race plan to reap the rewards.
“The plan was to just stay composed for the first 50m,” Ireland said. “The second 50 was the go to, so just building it up and then use my legs more leading into that third 50m and then just take off and give it everything in that last 50.”
When asked how he felt to secure his first medal at his first Paralympic Games, he said: “Yeah, really good actually, especially doing a PB (personal best) at this level as well so I couldn’t do any better.
“I certainly felt the energy on that but just tried to stay composed throughout, from leading from the first half of the race and just accelerating a lot more and just building it up.”
In other racing, Jenna Jones finished sixth in the women’s S12 100m backstroke with a season’s best time of 1:13.81, while Madeleine McTernan swam a personal best in both the heats and then again the finals of the women’s S14 200m freestyle to come fifth, and Ruby Storm improved on her heats swim to come seventh in the same race with a time of 2:13.13.
Jess Aungles swam a season’s best time of 1:08.36 in the men’s S8 100m backstroke final to place sixth.
Earlier in the day Ricky Betar logged a time of 2:04.01 in the men’s S14 200m freestyle, narrowly missing the final while Ella Jones’ personal best time of 1:24.48 in the Women’s S8 100m backstroke wasn’t enough to nab a spot in the final.
Day four racing includes the highly-anticipated men’s S10 100m freestyle with gold medallist Tom Gallagher joined by Rowan Crothers and Alex Saffy, the women’s S10 100m freestyle with Poppy Wilson, and Ahmed Kelly and Grant Patterson in the men’s SM3 150m individual medley. The day will round out with the 56 point mixed 4 x 100m freestyle relay.
Watch the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on the 9Network and 9Now live and free, and on Stan Sport till September 8.
By: Jodie Hawkins, Paralympics Australia
Published: 1 September 2024
