Paralympics: Northern Ireland's eight athletes with one dream

A torchbearing team carries the Paralympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg through Westminster

Some 3,500 military personnel will be involved with security at the Paralympics, compared with 12,200 at the Olympics

Fireworks at Belfast City Hall after the lighting of the cauldron with the Paralympic flame

Simon Weston (left) and Nazim Erdem perform a kiss with the Welsh National Flame during the parade to the evening celebration site

Simon Weston lights the Welsh National Flame cauldron at the evening celebration site, Cardiff, Wales

Torchbearer Robyn Johnson hands over the Paralympic flame to torchbearer Nazim Erdem outside the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff

By Chris Kilpatrick – 29 August 2012

Northern Ireland is still basking in Olympic glory after a record haul from London 2012.

Now local Paralympic athletes are tipped to spearhead a gold rush when the event gets under way later today.

Eight athletes from Northern Ireland will take part — representing both Team Ireland and Team GB.

Northern Ireland could even be set for its own ‘Super Saturday’ this weekend with three athletes chasing gold medals within the space of two hours at the Olympic Stadium.

The trio — Jason Smyth (100m), Michael McKillop (800m) and Sally Brown (200m) are part of one of our strongest Paralympic delegations ever.

Smyth and McKillop are hotly tipped for gold and Brown has the potential to upset the odds and take top spot on the podium at the age of just 17.

Four years ago in Beijing Smyth’s displays on the track saw him compared to the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt. Indeed, the Eglinton man came within a whisker of qualifying for the 100m race at the London Games where he would have been taking to the start line alongside legendary Bolt.

But he missed the qualifying mark by just four one hundredths of a second, denying him the chance to become the first Paralympian along with Oscar Pistorius to take part in the Olympics.

McKillop is expected to defend his 800m title from four years ago and add the 1500m to his roll of honour.

Both Brown and fellow teenage competitor Bethany Firth are regarded as stars of the future but have enough in their tanks to peak earlier than expected and elbow the favourites from the medal positions in their respective disciplines. Another swimmer, Laurence McGivern is ranked within the top 10 in the world and could also spring a surprise at the age of just 19.

More experienced athletes in the local camp include equestrian Eilish Byrne, cyclist James Brown and archer Sharon Vennard.

The athletes are gearing up for the challenge with words of encouragement from blind adventurer and double Commonwealth Games medal winner Mark Pollock.

“The exciting thing is there are nine current world champions, there are world record holders and there's a tenth athlete, Jason Smyth, who's a double Olympic Gold medallist in the 100m and 200m.

“He's a hot prospect,” said the Holywood man.

“We've really good prospects in a whole range of sports.

“Ireland have a team going out there who are going to come back with a whole range of medals, lots of them gold.”

Meanwhile, details of a victory parade to celebrate the achievements of British Olympians and Paralympians have been announced.

Up to 800 athletes will travel on 21 floats as part of The Our Greatest Team Parade, organised by the Mayor of London in conjunction with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association.

It will take place on Monday, September 10.

Team GB finished third in the medal table after winning 29 gold medals, 17 silvers and 19 bronzes — a total of 65.

The Paralympic games run until September 9.