Three-time Paralympian Orla Comerford (Raheny Shamrock AC) has qualified for the final of the Women’s 100m T13 race after a dominant first-place finish in her heat in a time of 12.02.

The Dubliner, who clocked her personal best of 11.90 during the National Championships in July, finished just ahead of Canada’s Bianca Borgella to qualify third overall for tonight’s final.  

Comerford will face tough competition in the final in the form of reigning Paralympic champion Adiaratou Iglesias Forneiro of Spain and Azerbaijan’s Lamiya Valiyeva who stormed to victory in the first heat in a time of 11.81.  

Speaking after the race Comerford said, “I’m happy with that, that was the aim of the morning to be decisive in the heat, win it, so I’m glad to have done that and be safely through to later. I’ll go back now, rest up, get a bit of food and come back and hopefully do much the same.  

“I was feeling really confident coming into today’s race, really comfortable and really excited. This whole experience has been amazing. Tokyo was obviously really tough for me and it’s not till you get to Paris that you look back and think how weird that was. But even on a wet morning like this with not a full stand, I got such loud support which makes me really excited for later. The support has been overwhelming and I feel very lucky.” 

The final takes place this evening in Stade de France at 19:13 Irish time.