Swim Ireland - Danielle Hill Smashes Freestyle Record Securing Another Olympic Time; Shane Ryan Lowers Newly Minted 100m Freestyle Record

Swim Ireland’s Irish Open Championships and Olympic Trials continued at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre on Saturday with an electric night of racing highlighted by Danielle Hill with a new Irish Record and Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) in the 50m Freestyle and a new Irish 100m Freestyle Record from Shane Ryan.

Larne’s Hill, who had set a new Irish Record of 24.95 in the heats of the 50m Freestyle on Saturday morning, lowered that time to 24.68 on Saturday night to cement her status as Ireland’s fastest ever female swimmer. The 24-year-old who qualified for her second Olympic Games in the 100m Backstroke on Wednesday, secured another OQT going two hundredths of a second under the World Aquatics standard of 24.70.

Speaking after the race, Hill, who was cheered on by a huge crowd of young Larne swimmers said ‘I am absolutely over the moon, I’m not quite as emotional as day one. I had a little bit more fun tonight with that, there was a massive crowd down to see me so I couldn’t disappoint them. I just had a bit of fun and swam without stress or pressure and I think that’s what made the difference’.

Shane Ryan, who had also set a new Irish Record this morning in the 100m Freestyle, lowered his time from 48.55 to 48.49 in the A Final, edging closer to the OQT of 48.34. Ryan will have another shot at securing a place on his third Olympic team in Sunday’s Super Final.

Paris qualified Ellen Walshe swam her second fastest time ever in the 100m Butterfly to win tonight’s Super Final and her first national title of the week in 58.07 seconds. Walshe, who has qualified for the Games in the 200m Individual Medley, was just outside her Irish Record of 57.96. The Templeogue swimmer returns to the pool on Sunday for the 400m Individual Medley, an event in which she set a new Irish Record of 4:37.94 just three weeks ago. Silver in the 100m Butterfly went to National Centre Limerick’s Lucy O’Brien (1:03.29) while Sundays Well Izzy McGrath claimed bronze in 1:04.95.

John Shortt had the full support of the National Aquatic Centre behind him in the 200m Backstroke Super Final. The 17-year-old, who set a new Irish Record of 1:57.90 on Friday, swam his second fastest time ever, winning the national title, for the second consecutive year, in 1:58.38. The National Centre Limerick swimmer has been under the consideration time for both the European Junior and European Senior Swimming Championships this Summer.

Lottie Cullen doubled up on national titles and European Championships consideration times adding 200m Backstroke to the 100m Backstroke she won on Thursday. Cullen, of National Centre Ulster, topped the podium in 2:14.10 ahead of National Centre Limerick’s Maria Godden (2:14.10) and Ballina Dolphins Annabelle Wilkinson (2:17.05).

Bangor’s Lachey Reed won his first national title in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley Final. Reed was the clear winner in 2:07.99 ahead of Aer Lingus’ Brendan Ryan (2:09.11) and National Centre Ulster’s Adam Colgan in 2:09.95.

In the Women’s 200m Breaststroke A Final a great battle between National Centre Limerick’s Ellie McCartney and National Centre Dublin’s Niamh Coyne saw McCartney take the top seed for Sunday’s Super Final in 2:29.67, just six hundredths of a second ahead of Coyne in 2:29.73. McCartney also achieved the consideration time for the European Championships in the event.

The Men’s 200m Breaststroke A Final was a tight affair as four swimmers sprinted for the finish. While Tuam’s Uiseann Cooke led for much of the race, it was Darragh Greene who had the best finish, clocking 2:11.92 to take lane four in tomorrow’s Super Final. Greene’s National Centre Dublin teammate Eoin Corby was second in 2:11.92 with Cooke third in 2:12.89. Corby, Cooke and fourth place finisher Jack Kelly (2:13.92) were all under the European Championships Consideration Time.

National Centre Dublin’s Victoria Catterson and Ards’ Grace Davison will go head-to-head in Sunday’s 200m Freestyle Super Final with the pair the clear favourites after Saturday’s A Final. Catterson will take the centre lane with a time of 2:01.04, while Davison, who swam a lifetime best of 2:01.56 will take lane five.

Jack Cassin of National Centre Limerick advances to the 200m Butterfly Super Final after he won today’s A Final in 2:00.83. Cassin’s teammates at NCL Brogan McAviney (2:03.30) and Ronan Kilcoyne (2:06.58) were next home.

Sunday will be the final day of action from the Irish Open and Olympic Trials where sixteen national champions will be crowned in the Men and Women’s 50m Backstroke, 400m Individual Medley, 200m Breaststroke, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, the Women’s 50m, 200m and 800m Freestyle and the Men’s 100m and 1500m Freestyle and 200m Butterfly.