Róisín Ní Riain and Orla Comerford win Paralympics bronze medals ...

First Ní Riain put down a beautifully constructed swim in the S13 200m Individual Medley in La Defense Arena to secure third spot with a strong finish.

Ní Riain wouldn’t have had time to dry off before time some 10km away in the Stade de France, Orla Comerford followed her onto the podium, taking third in a race that saw the Azerbaijani winner run a new world record of 11.76.

The two medals were won in an unforgettable five minutes and 36 seconds.

In the pool, Ní Riain took the best part of two seconds off her personal best to secure her second medal of the Games.

She sat in fourth at the final turn but had taken roughly half a second out of the third placed swimmer on the breaststroke leg before finishing the job in the final 50m for Ireland’s third medal.

“I would say with that one, that's a final swim,” said a delighted Ní Riain.

“I've been on the wrong side of the IM touches now for the last three years, so to be able to come out and finally get on the right side of a touch, I couldn't be happier. I’m delighted with that.

“So, I've been stuck on the same time and fourth (places) for a long time now, so it's nice to be able to crack a third. It was a pretty solid swim this morning (in the heat) and it was really just to be able to build on that swim.

“I had a couple of technical things to work on, of which I may or may not have done, I still have to go back and rewatch it, sit down like we do all the time, and it was a good swim, but there's definitely areas to improve like always.”

Ní Riain wouldn’t have been finished talking by the time Comerford ran 11.97 in her final, just 0.07 off her PB, to secure another bronze. It was a high quality race where the second place time would also have beaten the old world record.

But almost instantly, the Raheny Shamrock star wanted more.

“I just feel like there is lots more in the tank so I was disappointed not to …. I reckoned at the start of the year that it was going to take a world record to win it, that’s what I had my eyes on. I know that was ambitious but I think that is well within my wheelhouse so I’m excited for the next cycle to push on towards that and faster,” she said.

It was a race laden with emotion for Comerford. In Tokyo and after injury struggles, she didn’t get out of her heat.

And here she ran in front of, amongst others, the family of her beloved late coach, Brian Corcoran, and with blue ribbons in her hair to honour her friend Elaine Moran who passed when they were teenagers.

“When we were in school, Elaine passed away very suddenly,” she explained.

“We were 16. She was a big Dubs fan so she wore blue ribbons, so at her funeral we all wore blue ribbons in our hair.

“Her parents set up a foundation with Heart Children Ireland called the Blue Ribbon Fund, so every time I step out on the track for the big moments, I always have her in my hair.

“This morning I had her on my spikes, I had them tied into my laces. It always on a backpack or something, I always like to carry her with me. We had her 10-year anniversary last year, which feels incredible surreal, I like to have her with me.”

“It feels insane. I think my initial feelings when I crossed the line were of disappointment and then when I was turned around and sent to my family I was like, ‘I can’t be disappointed with that.’ It’s such an honour and a privilege to do it with them all here.

“Brian’s family are here, my (Raheny Shamrock) club members are here, I think I would have taken your hand off for it a couple of years ago, so I have to take in the moment, enjoy it and let it fuel me for the next four years.”

Would her late coach would be proud?

“I think he would be,” she said tearfully. “Connie, his wife, and his son (Rob) are here so I hope they are proud.”

Elsewhere, in the S9 100m backstroke final, Barry McClements finished eighth in a time of 1:05.56.

The race was won by Yahor Shchalkanau, a Belorussian swimmer competing under the NPA (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) flag in a Paralympic record of 1:00.76.

“My turn wasn't great at the half way point,” McClements said.

“If that had been fixed it might have been a different result but it was a quick fast race and I enjoyed it. It wasn't my main event so I just concentrated on having a good swim and enjoying it.”

McClements will compete in his favoured event, the S9 100m butterfly on Friday.

Despite good swims, there was no joy for either Nicole Turner or Dearbhaile Brady in the S650m butterfly.

Brady (17) reversed the result of her heat, swimming faster than her team mate to come home in fifth place in a personal best of 37.67.

She swam faster than her morning heat time and was just 0.16 of a second off the bronze medal position. Laois swimmer Turner was sixth in a time of 38.59.

“That went really well, that was a PB for me so I’m delighted with that,” Brady said.

“I’m a lot faster than I was last year, that’s how much I’ve changed. I wasn’t too nervous. I decided it’s the final and I didn’t know what was going to happen, so I went out to enjoy it. I’m really happy how I finished.”

It was a frustrating day of near misses for the equestrian team. Kate Kerr Horan and Jessica McKenna finished just outside the qualification score for their final in Grade III individual event.

They placed ninth and tenth respectively with only the top eight scores progressing. And there was a similar near miss for Michael Murphy who finished ninth where eight also proceeded.

Ní Riain finished third in the SM13 200m Individual Medley final at La Defense Arena, while over in the Stade de France, Comerford finished third in the final of the T13 100m final.

Comerford powered home in a time of 11.94, just marginally off her personal best.

She told RTÉ: “It feels like a dream. It's also just a rollercoaster of emotions. It's not the medal I had dreamed of but a Paralympic medal is such a privilege and an honour, and to do it with my family and friends all here is just sensational.

“I knew a year ago that it was going to take a world record to win this and that's what I had my eyes on so I feel like I have fallen short of that but I don't doubt that that's in me and that I have more.

“I’m just really excited to put the grind in for the next four years and hopefully come away with the medal I've always dreamed of.”

A delighted Ní Riain also told RTÉ: “I would say with that one, that's a 'finally' swim.

“I've been on the wrong side of the IM (Individual Medley) touches now for the last three years, so to be able to come out and finally get on the right side of a touch, I couldn't be happier.

“It was a pretty solid swim this morning and it was really just to be able to build on that. I had a couple of technical to work on, of which I may or may not have done. I'll still have to go back and re-watch it... sit down, like we always do.

“It was a good swim but there is definitely areas to improve on like always.”