Peter Ryan (top podium, left) was crowned national tandem cycling champion this year alongside his pilot Dermot Radford. The former Tipp minor hurler will represent his country at the paralympics next month after Russian athletes were banned from competing and Ireland were granted an extra slot. His pilot in Rio will be the man on the far left, Polish-born Irishman Marcin Mizgajski.
By Brian Canty
Ireland’s Paralympic team has received huge news today after it was confirmed that the ban on Russian athletes competing has opened the door for tandem cycling pair Peter Ryan and Marcin Mizgajski.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) decision to uphold the International Paralympic Committee’s suspension of Russia from the forthcoming Games means Ireland will now send another bike.
Ryan, a former Tipperary minor hurler, will compete in the men’s B time-trial and the B tandem road race with Polish-born Mizgajski as pilot.
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Their place on the squad brings to 10 the number of Irish riders travelling to Brazil next week.
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Peter Ryan's story is a compelling one and now the next chapter is the Rio Paralympics after a late late call up.
Ryan was diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), a rare genetic disorder resulting in substantial sight loss, at the age of 19.
The Upperchurch-Drombane man played Dr Harty Cup hurling for three years for Thurles CBS and in 2008 he featured in the All-Ireland (Croke Cup) final against De La Salle, Waterford.
The news of their country’s prohibition at the Games was met with anger by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who said the ruling was “cynical” and “humiliates those who take such decisions”.
Speaking at an award ceremony for Russian Olympians at the Kremlin, Putin said the country would hold special competitions for banned Paralympic athletes, with the winners awarded the same prizes as in Rio.
We'll have an interview with Peter Ryan closer to the event.
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