Irish Paralympians target another five-medal haul in London

The 2012 Irish Paralympic team departed for a two-week pre-Games training camp this morning with chief executive Liam Harbison claiming they were ready to better the successes achieved four years ago in Beijing.

Ireland claimed five medals in China in 2008, three golds as well as a silver and bronze, and the stated goal for London is much the same with five podium places and 15 finalists the target pinned up prior to the event, which kicks off on August 29.

“There are 49 athletes ready to do what no Paralympic team has done before and I am confident that they will achieve great success,” said Harbison at a send-off for the team at Bewleys Airport Hotel last night.

Those athletes travelling to Portugal from Dublin were introduced to a raucous crowd last night just as images of Katie Taylor being lauded on Dawson Street flashed up on TV screens and there are solid grounds for thinking that further successes should be expected.

Five current world champions will line up for Team Ireland in the English capital — Michael McKillop and Catherine O’Neill in athletics as well as cyclists Mark Rohan, Catherine Walsh and Colin Lynch — as well as a number of others who have medalled at European and world levels in recent years.

McKillop and Smyth will also defend the Paralympic titles they won at Beijing 2008.

In addition, Ireland will compete for the first time ever in the sports of shooting and rowing at the Games.

The ramifications of the five medals Ireland secured at the Olympics will hopefully stretch as far as government buildings when the next budgetary realities are being considered and another wave of success in the Paralympics would be a further bulwark against expected cuts.

“The amount of money that has been provided by the Irish Sports Council in the last four years and before that leading up to Beijing has been absolutely phenomenal and we are so appreciative of it,” said McKillop who will compete in the 800m and 1,500m.

“Especially myself, because sport is either something you do for fun or something you do for a living and I do it for a living.

“That's what elite Paralympic sport is. I am doing this to win gold medals and other titles.”