Ellen Keane has claimed Ireland's first gold medal of the 2021 Paralympic Games, winning the SB8 100 metres breaststroke in Tokyo.
The 26-year-old Clontarf native posted a personal best time of 1 minute 19.93 seconds to edge out Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand in a thrilling finish.
Keane gained an advantage at the turn and repelled the challenge of Pascoe in the last 50 metres.
Keane won a bronze medal in the breaststroke in Rio five years ago and has now gone two places better in Japan.
She first swam in a Paralympics as a 13 year old in Beijing in 2008, placing sixth in the final of the breaststroke. At the London Games in 2012, she reached three finals.
#ParaSwimming | MEDAL ALERT
Ellen Keane WINS GOLD in the SB8 100 Breaststroke!
1st place finish with a time of 1:19.93 for Ellen Keane 🥇#TeamIreland | #TheNextLevel pic.twitter.com/31fdW3f5z4— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 26, 2021
It is 18 days since another Dublin native, boxer Kellie Harrington, took gold for Ireland at the Olympic Games in Japan.
