Mayo Olympian defies illness to dive in Paris

MAYO'S Ciara McGing showed tremendous courage to compete in Monday's 10m Platform Diving preliminary round in Paris. The 23-year-old said she was fortunate to have made it to the diving board after being ill in the days leading up to her Olympic debut.

"I’m a bit upset and embarrassed about how I dived today because I know I am much better than that," McGing told RTÉ Sport after Monday morning's competition.

"I’ve been very ill the last 48 hours, hooked up to a drip and everything so I’m very grateful for the doctors at Team Ireland that I even got here today.

"[If it was] this time yesterday I wouldn’t have been here so I’m just proud. The [Irish athletes at the] village behind me got me here this morning.

"Just the timing was [unlucky], you can’t write it, I don’t want to use it as an excuse but obviously not the ideal situation," she added after finishing 29th in the opening round.

However, the young woman with strong family ties in Killawalla and Tourmakeady was proud and delighted to have become an Olympian in front of a large gathering of family and friends in the French capital: "It was incredible. Just to have everyone here behind me...they got me here today, it means the world."