Paralympics: Once more the curtain drew down on another Paralympic day, the competition richer after a spate of world records. Such has been the meteoric rise in standards since Sydney 2000 that little other than a world record will earn a gold in Athens.
Even then it is not certain.
Yesterday they again came tumbling, Jian Xin Bian and Fatma Omar making nonsense of the women's power-lifting event. Bian broke eight world records in the 48kg class while Omar broke six.
On the track it was no different, the 200 metres record falling to South Africa, April Holmes running the 100 metres faster than any Paralympian before her just to get to the final.
It's where Ireland need to be close to to collect medals and while Garret Culliton achieved a personal best in the men's F52 discus, it was again outside the podium places. Culliton, who was catastrophically injured playing rugby in Dublin for Wanderers in 1992, is the son of former international Gerry, who won 19 caps for Ireland in the pack between 1959-64.
Now 34 years old he achieved his personal best of 15.86 metres with his first throw before stomach problems made it difficult for him to twist back for the subsequent efforts, which are performed from an immovable wheelchair. Agonisingly close, another 11 centimetres would have put him among the medals. Naturally, the event was won with a Paralympic record throw, this time from Latvia.
"It's an opportunity missed," he said afterwards. "I got stomach cramps after the first throw and wasn't able to throw properly."
Bitterly disappointed, it is Culliton's third Paralympics, having competed in both Atlanta and Sydney. Having taken time off work to train at the Irish Wheelchair Association gym in Clontarf, he had been throwing 16 metres plus in training so he knew the distance was in him.
After his first and longest throw, a couple of 14 metres-plus and 13 metres-plus throws, as well as another of over 15 metres, put him in fifth place overall, the winning distance just short of 19 metres.
"He'd been throwing over 16 metres in training. It was going to be whether he could get that distance out of him today. We know it is in there, it's getting it out," said Irish team technical director Liam Harbison.
Backed by a small band of supporters, including his mother Monica and sisters Orlagh and Zita, Culliton returns empty handed and disconsolate but with the certain ability to hit distances that will put him in medal territory in the future.
The Irish football seven-a-side team also let slip their chances of playing for a place in the next round when they went down 5-2 to Argentina at the Olympic Hockey stadium. Ireland were level at half-time with goals from Alan O'Hara and Mario Sosa but in the second half Argentina took a 3-1 lead with scores in the 46th and 49th minutes. Finbar O'Riordan hit back for 3-2 but two late goals in injury time from the fast counter-attacking Argentinians ensured the important win.
Patrice Dockery, who had dramatically crashed out in the 5,000 metres T54 heats before being readmitted to the final, finished ninth last night in the 12-lap race. Injured in the initial crash Dockery's 12:50.84 was one of eight PBs set by the field of 14 racers.
Action in the club throw centred around Garrett Jameson and Dunmanway's John McCarthy, who finished their events in seventh and ninth place respectively.
IRISH RESULTS: Athletics: P Dockery T54 5,000m final - 9th, PB; Lias Callaghan F37 Javelin 5th, world record; G Jameson Club Throw, 7th; J McCarthy Club Throw, 9th; G Culliton F52 Discus, 5th; Football 7-a-side: Ireland 2 (A O'Hara, F O'Riordan), Argentina 5 (C Conte 2, C Moringo, C Bastias,M Sosa); Sailing: Mixed 2.4mR (1 person) F Kinsella Race 5 14th, race 6 15th, Overall 15th.
