Berry takes silver in Sydney
From Noel O'Reilly in Sydney
25/10/00: Over 11,000 people in the Indoor Aquatic Centre witnessed Irelands fourth Paralympic medal winning performance today, Mairead Berry taking silver in the final of the 50m backstroke.
The 25-year-old led for nearly half the race, but was beaten by Sara Carracelas of Spain who set a new Paralympic record with a time of 1:21.60 seconds. Berry looked to have the race sewn up but the Coolock swimmer, who has cerebral palsy, had a brief spasm with 20 metres to go and that allowed the Spaniard to overhaul her.
Berry was delighted with her medal, and with the time of 1:22.85, and expects to win more medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle events which take place tomorrow and Friday.
"I was very nervous before but in the pool I was grand," she said. "Unfortunately she got me at the end. But it was a good race and hopefully I’ll get her [Carracelas] again."
Earlier this morning the Rice sisters, Sharon and Mary, faced each other in final of the 200m. Both the Belfast girls performed well at the recent World Championships and may have expected to secure at least one medal. But in the run-up to this Games, the standard in cerebral palsy sport has risen so sharply that the girls will have to be content with their fifth and sixth places.
Meanwhile, Australian Louise Sauvage will not get a chance to go again in the 800m final after all. The race, which was marred by the disqualification of Patrice Dockery and a high-speed collision, had been due to be re-run tomorrow.
But after hearing a lengthy submission made on the behalf of the winner, Chantal Petitclerc of Canada, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled against a re-staging of the event. This means that the original result will stand leaving Petitclerc to take gold and Sauvage the silver. The courts decision will mean that Sauvage’s unbeaten record, stemming from 1992, also falls.
