Updated 15:45
IRELAND’S CATHERINE O’NEILL has added yet another medal to an already impressive haul by claiming silver in today’s F51/52/53 discus.
O’Neill recorded a season’s best distance of 5.66 metres to take the podium place with a total of 880 points.
That distance was achieved on her very first throw, but each of her attempts was further than USA’s Zena Cole who claimed bronze.
Afterwards, O’Neill expressed the great relief at taking the podium:
“I have been waiting for this for a long time.” She said. “This is my third Paralympics and you cannot understand how much this means to me. I want to thank those who have supported me an stood by me.”
Team GB’s Josie Pearson will collect the gold with a total of 1122 points.
Cassie Mitchell, Estela Salas and Bochra Rzouga each broke double figures in distance terms, but their efforts were not enough to overhaul O’Neill’s marker and they finished out of the medals.
The triumph will be a massive fillip for O’Neill who finished an agonising fourth place in the club throw earlier this week. However, the New Ross athlete soon showed her competitive streak, as her thoughts began to turn to retaking her world record.
“I lost my world record today and don’t quite know how to think about that. I will enjoy the moment and look to chase that record back next year.”
