Seventeen Irish swimmers have
travelled to Otopeni, Romania this week to compete at the 2023 European
Aquatics Championships (25m). Competition gets underway on Tuesday, with the
6-day event taking place at Olympic Complex, Otopeni from 5th – 10th December.
The team has been selected to provide both senior and junior athletes to
benefit from international racing prior to the long course season commencing.
Daniel Wiffen, ranked number one the
world at this point in the season in the 400m, 800m and 1500m Freestyle will
spearhead the team alongside 2021 World Short Course Championships silver
medallist Ellen Walshe. Familiar names such as Shane Ryan and Danielle Hill
also feature as part of the team.
For the first time, twins Daniel and
Nathan Wiffen will compete on an Irish team together, whilst juniors John
Shortt, Ellie McCartney and Grace Davison will be familiar names from recent
European Junior and Commonwealth Youth Games campaigns.
With a World Championships on the
horizon in February and the Paris Olympic Games in July, some athletes,
including Mona McSharry, Darragh Greene and Conor Ferguson have opted not to
compete on this occasion in favour of the training pool.
The opening day of competition will
see thirteen Irish swimmers in action. Ellen Walshe opens proceedings in the
400m Individual Medley, followed by Daniel and Nathan Wiffen in the 400m
Freestyle. Irish Senior Record Holder Danielle Hill, alongside Erin Riordan,
Victoria Catterson and Irish Junior Record holder Grace Davison will swim the
heats of the 50m Freestyle.
Shane Ryan and John Shortt will
compete in the 50m Backstroke, an event in which Ryan was a bronze medallist in
2019. Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Ellie McCartney swims the 100m
Breaststroke, while Max McCusker, Evan Bailey and Dylan Registe are entered in
the 100m Butterfly Heats.
National Performance Director Jon
Rudd, Team Leader for Ireland at the Championships said, “There’s a lot to look
forward to for Irish swimming fans across the six days of competition in
Romania, particularly when you look at some of the names that feature as part
of this team. Our junior athletes will learn so much in this environment and
our established seniors will have an excellent chance to progress through the
rounds, check where they are at prior to the long course season commencing and,
in some cases, challenge for podium positions. There is no doubt that this will
be well worth keeping eyes upon!”.
Rudd will be leading the Irish
coaching team at the Championships, with Steven Beckerleg (National Centre
Dublin), John Szaranek (National Centre Limerick), and Fran Ronan (New Ross
Swimming Club) formulating the remainder of the coaching team.
2023 LEN European SC Swimming
Championships (Otopeni, Romania)
Day 1 – Tuesday 5th December l Heats
– 7.30am (IRL)
Women’s 400m Individual Medley Ellen Walshe
Men’s 400m Freestyle Daniel Wiffen,
Nathan Wiffen
Women 50m Freestyle Erin Riordan,
Danielle Hill, Victoria Catterson, Grace Davison
Men 50m Backstroke Shane Ryan, John
Shortt
Women 100m Breaststroke Ellie McCartney
Men 100m Butterfly Max McCusker, Evan Bailey, Dylan Registe
2023 European Aquatics Championships
(25m), Bucharest, Romania
Name Home
Programme Home Coach
Evan Bailey New Ross SC Fran
Ronan
Victoria Catterson National
Centre (Dublin) Steve Beckerleg
Grace Davison Ards SC Curtis Coulter
Tom Fannon National Centre (Dublin) Steve Beckerleg
Maria Godden National Centre (Limerick) John Szaranek
Danielle Hill Larne SC Peter Hill
Ellie McCartney National Centre (Limerick) John Szaranek
Max McCusker Millfield School Ryan Livingstone
Liam O'Connor Project 28/Terenure SC Andrew Addison
Dylan Registe Lisburn City SC Stan Sheppard
Erin Riordan National Centre (Dublin) Steve Beckerleg
Shane Ryan National Centre (Dublin) Steve Beckerleg
John Shortt National Centre (Limerick) John Szaranek
Oisin Tebite National Centre (Dublin) Steve Beckerleg
Ellen Walshe Templeogue SC Brian Sweeney
Daniel Wiffen Loughborough
University Andi Manley
Nathan Wiffen Loughborough
University Andi Manley
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