Noelle Lenihan won silver for Ireland at the World Para Athletics Championships in London on Thursday night.
Lenihan, from Charleville in Cork, won her medal in the F38 discus.
The 17-year-old, who just last month finished her Leaving Cert, is the third Cork athlete to win a discus silver in London. Orla Barry and Niamh McCarthy both claimed silver on day two of the Championships last weekend.
The F38 also features F37 competitors. The event was won by China's Mi Na who is classified as F37.
Lenihan won her silver with a championship record throw of 32.12m, just 0.02cm off her own world record. Mi Na won the competition with a throw of 35.08m
Afterwards, Lenihan said that she 'absolutely loved' competing in London.
I have one world championships in the bag so to be out there after a tough year with a lot of study was great. I did hope to beat the Chinese girl (Mi Na), you know anything is possible, but you’ve got to look at yourself and better yourself.
I was only 2cm off the world record so that’s something to aim for in the future. It gives me a target. To me it doesn’t matter who I’m against. I’m very chilled but I’m very competitive too. I love the sport and I love throwing. I have that drive, especially in para sport, it’s something that comes to me very easily.
Photo by Luc Percival/Sportsfile
