Paris 2024: Shauna Bocquet finishes fifth in 100m heat

Ireland's Shauna Bocquet finished fifth in her heat for the T54 100m at the Paralympics in Paris, missing out on a place in the final.

Competing in her third event in five days was never going to be easy, but hopes were high for the Galway women coming into the race.

Going in the second of two heats, Bocquet knew that she had to be a time of 16.95 to progress to the final with the top three from each heat and two fastest runners-up progressing.

However, she made a slow start to the race and was never really able to recover.

Pushing for home from fifth place Bocquet closed in on Switzerland's Alexandra Helbling, but the line came just too soon for her and Helbling held on for fourth.

There was a nervous wait for Bocquet for the times to flash up, but when they appeared it wasn't good news. The Paralympic debutant finished in 17 seconds flat, missing out on a place in the final by .05 of a second.

In the earlier heat gold medal favourite Tatyana McFadden laid down a marker for the final, winning in a time of 15.55, setting a new Paralympics record.