Sport

Team Ireland secure first medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria

Team Ireland's Sean McCartan, a member of Skiability Special Olympics Club, from Carryduff, Co. Antrim, competeing during a Alpine Giant Slalom event at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games at Schladming-Rohrmoos, Stadthalle Graz, in Graz, Austria. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile *** NO REPRODUCTION FEE ***
Team Ireland's Sean McCartan, a member of Skiability Special Olympics Club, from Carryduff, Co. Antrim, competeing during a Alpine Giant Slalom event at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games at Schladming-Rohrmoos, Stadthalle Graz, in Graz, Austria. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile *** NO REPRODUCTION FEE ***
By Thomas Hawkins

Team Ireland have secured their first medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria, with an Ulster trio amongst the medallists as Team Ireland bagged a total of four medals on the slopes of Schladming.

Team Ireland’s youngest athlete, Caolan McConville (13) from county Antrim took silver in the Alpine Intermediate Giant Slalom.

Sean McCartan (16) from county Down while Armagh man Cyril Walker (46) took bronze in the Intermediate and Novice Giant Slalom finals, respectively.

Team Ireland team-mate, Wicklow woman Lorraine Whelan (36), scooped silver in the Intermediate Giant Slalom, while in the Novice Giant Slalom 16-year-old Laoise Kenny from Dublin secured fourth place and fellow Dubliner Niall Flynn (30) achieved a participation ribbon.

Commenting on the results, Caolan McConville said he was ''really excited'' to medal at his first Games.

"I went down the Giant Slalom and it was hard. I fell over, sadly, but I picked myself back and went really fast,'' he added.

''I waited for another hour to get back on the slope. I didn't fall on the last one, thank God!"

The Team Ireland skiers now move on to the Slalom competition today (Wednesday 22nd March).

There was a rest day for Ireland Team 1 in the Floorball Competition yesterday, while Team 2 took on the Ivory Coast, putting in a fantastic performance to win 3-2.

TEAM IRELAND’S ALPINE SKIING TEAM

• Intermediate – Sean McCartan (Antrim), Lorraine Whelan (Wicklow) • Novice – Caolan McConville (Armagh), Cyril Walker (Armagh), Niall Flynn (Dublin), Laoise Kenny (Dublin).

TEAM IRELAND’S FLOORBALL TEAMS:

• Team 1 – Joseph McCarthy (Cork), Brian McDonnell (Cork), Thomas O’Herlihy (Cork), Roy Saville (Cork), Lee Ryan Byrne (Dublin), Michael Minogue (Limerick), George Fitzgerald (Waterford), Clive Healy (Waterford), William McGrath (Waterford), James Upton (Waterford)

• Team 2 – James Healy (Cork), Richard Moran (Cork), Lorcan Byrne (Dublin), Thomas Caulfield (Dublin), Matthew Colgan (Dublin), Stephen Lee (Dublin), Anthony Murray (Dublin), Raymond McClearn (Galway), John Paul Shaw (Longford), Patrick Tunstead (Meath).