Róisín Ní Riain continued to shine on the world stage for Team Ireland, winning her third medal in as many finals at the Para Swimming World Championships in Singapore.
The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer entered today’s 100m Backstroke Final (S13) as the reigning world para champion and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games silver medallist. The race featured a stacked field, including Team USA’s Gia Pergolini – the Paris 2024 gold medallist, as well as Italy’s Carlotta Gilli, the Paris bronze medallist.
Ní Riain and Pergolini went stroke for stroke throughout the race, with the American edging out the Limerick swimmer for gold by just 0.77 seconds. Ní Riain claimed silver in 1:06.26, while bronze went to Gilli (1:07.87), replicating the identical top three from the same event last year in Paris.
Speaking after the race, a delighted Ní Riain said, “That hurt the most the 100 backstroke has probably ever hurt! My PB was two years old, so I’m really happy to come out and get a new one.”
The Limerick swimmer was previously crowned world champion in this event at the 2023 Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, touching the wall in 1:06.62 to take gold by just 0.09 seconds. She also won the Paralympic silver medal in this event at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, finishing in 1:07.27.
Tomorrow, Dearbhaile Brady returns to the pool to compete in the S6 50m Freestyle, a direct final.
