Ireland's paracanoe hope has no fears of Zika or Rio water

Ahead of the Paralympics, paracanoist Pat O’Leary dismissed any major concerns over the Zika virus or the state of the water in Rio.

“We’re constantly getting updates from the medical team.” O’Leary said. “I was there last August and the mosquitoes there would be limited then because it’s their winter. I don’t have any huge fears about it.”

Nor will O'Leary lose sleep over water quality. “There were concerns about the lagoons last year. It’s far from the cleanest water I’ve paddled in but it’s also far from the worst, to be honest. It’s not something that would ever stop me going. I know people who have paddled there and I’ve been there myself.”