EVANNE NI CHUILINN revealed her daughter won U9 gymnast of the year – joking that she was expecting a gong for her driving.
The RTE star shared a photo from the ceremony to Instagram, tagging her kid’s coach and gym.
Evanne Ni Chuilinn’s daughter won a gymnastics award[/caption]
She said: “Two of my favourite women, P & P, Coach and Athlete.
“Congrats to the 2024 Coach of the Year @paulina_wiktorczyk and the U9 Gymnast of the Year @gympeigi at @phoenixgymnasticsireland
“I love following your journey
“Waiting for my driver of the year award”
Ni Chuilinn has been a regular face on Irish television screens as a broadcaster with RTE.
She was part of the national broadcaster’s team for the 2024 Paralympics – joined by the likes of Jason Smyth.
This led to a special moment when the 37-year-old reacted to a long-standing record of his being broken.
Among the litany of records he has held, he set the fastest time in the T13 100m in the London Games of 2012 at 10.46 seconds.
His mark was finally eclipsed by Athmani Skander Djamil in a blistering duel with Salum Ageze Kashafali who was only five hundredths of a second behind him.
Derry native Smyth was watching on from RTE’s Montrose studio and clearly left feeling mixed emotions.
He did though crack a smile after a few seconds as he quipped: “Me, the Algerian and the Norwegian would be a really good race!”
Sharing the clip on Instagram, Ni Chuilinn wrote: “What a champion Jason Smyth was, and is.
“Six-time Paralympic Champion between 2008 and 2021.
“The T13 100m Paralympic Record he set at London 2012 was broken last night.
“It was the first Paralympic 100m final he didn’t race in, or win, since the Athens Games twenty years ago.
“What an icon of Para sport.”
Smyth, who has less than 10% vision due to an eye condition known as Stargardt’s Disease, also competed in non-Paralympic athletics.
He won two Athletics Ireland National Championships in the 100m and represented Ireland at two European Athletics Championships.
There, he reached the semi-finals as well as the World Athletics Championships, making him the first ever Paralympian to compete in those events.
Jason also represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
He has run 100m in 10.22 seconds making him the 3rd fastest 100m sprinter in Irish history and the fastest in Northern Irish history.
