Cathal Ryan set a new personal best in his 400m heat at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
A strong run of 51.86 from the Cork man in the T47 class (upper-limb impairment) saw him place fifth but miss out on the final.
Ryan had set a new personal best before travelling to the world championships but unfortunately a slight hip issue had hampered his preparation during the week.
His decision to run today proved the right one as he proved himself a worthy contender in a fast-paced heat.
Ryan said: "Last week I didn't really know if I was running as I had a bit of a niggle so delighted to go out and run as I did. I suppose I just forgot everything and just let it all out.
"It’s been a great experience getting used to the atmosphere of competing with the best in the world."
Wheelchair racer Shauna Bocquet finished tenth in the T54 1500m and is back out in the heats of her second event, the 100m, at 10.24am Irish time tomorrow.
