Team Ireland’s Para Athletics team assembled at Dublin Airport this morning to board Aer Lingus flight EI 154 on the first leg of their journey to Japan ahead of the Paralympic Games. Para Table Tennis player, Colin Judge joined the Para Athletics team as the last large departure for Team Ireland to the Paralympic Games.
The next stop for the team on their journey to Japan will be in Heathrow Airport before the longer journey to Narita City in Japan where they will join the Para Swimming team for their pre Games acclimatisation camp. The Para Cycling team have already landed in Japan where their preparations are continuing at their training camp in Masuda City.
The Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games will take place at the Olympic Stadium on August 24th with the first Irish Para Athletes competing on the following day as action gets underway for Team Ireland’s Swimmers, Cyclists and Table Tennis athletes.
In the pool it will be Barry McClements, Róisín Ní Ríain and Nicole Turner that are our first competitors, Richael Timothy will be Ireland’s first paracyclist at the velodrome whilst Colin Judge will get his competition under way in the group stages of the Table Tennis competition.
Speaking about the Paralympics Ireland Team Departure, CEO Miriam Malone said “This is an extremely exciting time as our team departs for Japan. This marks the culmination of years of work by the athletes, those that support them and Paralympics Ireland. We now have a long journey ahead as we depart for Japan but it is very heartening to have the support of Aer Lingus on the first part of our journey”
Peter O’Neill, Chief Operations Officer, Aer Lingus said;
“Aer Lingus wishes all of the members of Paralympic Team Ireland the very best of luck as they journey to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Aer Lingus is proud to support the team on this first part of their journey and our ground staff and operating crew are looking forward to welcoming the athletes to the airport and on board.”
