Dalton takes bronze medal as Westmeath athletes shine in Athens

Ballinahown's Paul Dalton won a bronze medal in men's basketball as Westmeath athletes returned home from the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens with a combined medal tally of three. The other medal winners from Westmeath are swimmer Peter Oxley from Tyrrellspass (third in the 100-metres backstroke) and Samantha Battams from Mullingar, who was part of the ladies soccer five-a-side team which finished third. The Games which ran from June 25 to July 4 in Athens, Greece saw 126 Irish athletes compete in several different sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bocce, Equestrian, Football (11-a-side male, 5-a-side male and 5-a-side female), Golf, Gymnastics, Kayaking, Table Tennis. They were supported by 49 coaches, hundreds of family members and more than 200 Irish volunteers who made the trip to Athens to cheer them on. In total, Team Ireland returned with 107 medals: 31 Gold; 44 Silver; 32 Bronze medals and dozens of place ribbons. Ten athletes also recorded personal best records. In addition to cheering on Team Ireland the Irish volunteers were assigned roles by the Games organising committee. Ireland was the only country to send a team of dedicated volunteers to the Games to support the day to day running of the events - something the Irish contingent was particularly proud of in, this, the European Year of Volunteering. Team Ireland, sponsored by eircom, was the 10th largest delegation at the Games which saw 7,500 athletes from 185 nations competing in 23 different sports. Speaking about Team Ireland's performance at the Games, Matt English, CEO Special Olympics Ireland, said: "So much work goes into preparing a team for competition on the World sporting stage. Team Ireland put a huge amount of effort into their training schedule in advance of these Games and they certainly reaped the awards in Athens. They recorded dozens of personal best performances as well as medal wins and these results are testament to the hard work and dedication of both the athletes and the coaching team. I applaud each and every member of Team Ireland and congratulate them on their outstanding sporting achievements."