Niamh McCarthy: People think Olympic athletes sleep, drink and eat training - Paralympians do too

With fellow Corkonians Orla Barry and Noelle Lenihan now retired Niamh McCarthy, 27, is feeling the pressure of expectation in Tokyo.

Niamh McCarthy: In action in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Niamh McCarthy quips that she popularised knitting in a sports stadium long before British diver Tom Daley.

“I’m not as good as him, I can only do basic stuff, but I was knitting baby Irish flags in Rio and people were using their Paralympic pins to stick them on to their bags,” says F41 discus silver medallist Niamh McCarthy grinning ahead of her competition, which starts Wednesday at 1.34am Irish time.