Rio Paralympics: Greta Streimikyte’s brave approach earns place in final

Paralympic debuts can a nerve-wracking experience at the best of times, but to do it at the age of 21, running from the front with a visual impairment, must make it all the more terrifying.

You could understand, then, why as Greta Streimikyte was handed the start list for yesterday morning’s T13 1500m heats, and her coaches outlined a bold racing strategy, the adrenaline surged through her system.

“My heart was exploding, like: ‘My god, this is happening,’” said Streimikyte, who became an Irish citizen last December after moving to Dublin from Lithuania in 2011. “I was really nervous last night, but this morning I woke up and my team-mates wished me luck, told me I could do this, so I forgot about the nerves.”