Shauna Bocquet has qualified comfortably for the final of the T54 5000m following a rain-soaked heat in Stade de France.
The Galway wheelchair racer needed to finish top five in her heat. She was part of a four-person group that broke away from the pack and remained with that leading group throughout to finish fourth in 12:44.52.
The 20-year-old looked comfortable in elite company on her Paralympic debut, which is all the more impressive considering she only heard she'd need to race a heat on Wednesday afternoon.
"I just took it as another opportunbity to race at the Paralympic Games, one day early. What more could I want? An extra race at the Paralympic Games," she told RTÉ Sport.
"I'm really delighted with how I felt and how the race went. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning."
The final is at 9.36am Saturday.
'What more could I want? An extra race at the Paralympic Games'
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 30, 2024
Shauna Bocquet only learned she had to race a heat on Wednesday - the wheelchair racer cruised into T54 5000m final#RTEparalympics #paris2024
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