Swim
Ireland’s Irish Open Championships and Olympic Trials concluded on Sunday
evening with five individuals now having secured Olympic Qualification Times
across nine events. This week, Danielle Hill and Tom Fannon joined Daniel
Wiffen, Ellen Walshe and Mona McSharry as individual qualifiers. Ireland have
also qualified a Women’s and a Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay with selection to be
confirmed in the coming weeks.
Across an
action packed five days, four Olympic Qualification Times were achieved from
Hill, Fannon and Walshe, twenty-two swimmers achieved consideration times for
the European Championships in Serbia in June, while seven Irish Senior and
eight Irish Junior Records were set.
Speaking
at the conclusion of the Championships, Swim Ireland Performance Director Jon
Rudd said ‘“After what has arguably been the best five days of domestic
swimming racing that this island has seen, we can all feel highly satisfied
with where Irish swimming is right now. World Aquatics raised the bar quite
considerably after Tokyo 2021 as to what it takes to be an Olympian, and we
have a group of athletes who responded to this – some making the grade, and
some agonisingly close - the smallest of margins – with seven Irish Senior
Records and eight Irish Junior Records written and re-written across these
days, the moments that matter. We have a strong Olympic team and European
Championships team that will come out of this final Trials, and we can look forward
to those announcements in the days to come – followed swiftly by a highly
charged and exciting summer for Irish aquatics.”
On
Sunday, Shane Ryan once again came close to the Olympic Qualification Time of
48.34 in the 100m Freestyle Final. Swimming in front of a packed National
Aquatic Centre Ryan swam 48.66. just outside the Irish Record of 48.49 he swam
on Saturday. Ryan claimed gold ahead of Evan Bailey (49.58), who set a new
Irish Junior Record of 49.40 in the event on Saturday, and 100m Butterfly
Champion Max McCusker (49.98).
In the
Men’s 1500m Freestyle Final Nathan Wiffen swam a brilliant fourteen second
lifetime best to blow away the rest of the field. Wiffen had entered the
competition with a best time of 15:21.11 and lowered that to 15:06.48 to win
the national title in a new Championship Record (15:07.07) and consideration
time for the European Championships. The 22-year-old was just outside the
Olympic Qualification Time of 15:00.99. Second place went to National Centre
Limerick’s Denis O’Brien with Sean Bugler of Sundays Well claiming bronze in
16:41.50.
In the
Women’s 50m Backstroke Final Danielle Hill came agonisingly close to breaking
her own 50m Backstroke Irish Record. Hill, who has qualified for the Paris
Games in the 50m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke, was just one hundredth of a
second off the 27.64 she swam at the Ulster Championships three weeks ago,
touching in 27.65 to win the national title. UCDs Jena Macdougald was the
silver medallist in 29.03 with bronze going to 100m and 200m Champion Lottie
Cullen of National Centre Ulster in 29.43.
Ellen
Walshe, who secured an Olympic Qualification Time in this morning’s heats of
the 400m Individual Medley in 4:38.05, cruised to victory in this evening’s
final in 4.43.62. Templeogue’s Walshe was followed home by Limerick’s Hannah
O’Connor in 5:06.70 and European Juniors qualifier Niamh Connery of Shark
(5:12.65). Walshe’s younger sister Eva was also competing in the final,
finishing sixth in 5:21.57.
John
Shortt claimed his second national title of the week, adding 50m Backstroke
gold to the 200m gold he won on Saturday night. Shortt clocked 25.80 ahead of
Coolmine’s Gavin Keogh (26.11) and NAC’s Matthew Walsh Hussey (26.33).
Banbridge’s
Adam Wilson claimed his first national title in the Men’s 400m Medley Final.
Wilson clocked 4:38.40 ahead of New Ross’ Emmet Cousins (4:43.42) and
Kilkenny’s Leonardo Reis (4:44.76).
The
smallest of margins separated Victoria Catterson and Grace Davison in a great
battle in the 200m Freestyle Final. Catterson, of National Centre Dublin, got
the touch in 2:00.62, just one hundredth of a second ahead of Ards’ Davison in
2:00.63. National Centre Limerick’s Maria Godden was third in 2:04.95.
Earlier
in the evening Davison had won gold and the national title in the 50m
Freestyle. The 16-year-old won in 26.02 ahead of UCD’s Jena Macdougald and
Sundays Wells’ Eva Harrington (26.78).
In the
200m Butterfly National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin was the only swimmer
under the two-minute mark. Cassin secured a European Championships
consideration time of 1:59.84 ahead of his teammate Brogan McAviney (2:04.28)
and Glenalbyn’s Sean Donnellan (2:07.18).
Eoin
Corby and Darragh Greene went head-to head for the national title in the Men’s
200m Breaststroke. Corby, of National Centre Limerick got the touch in 2:11.37,
just ahead of National Centre Dublin’s Greene in 2:11.95. ESB’s Jack Kelly won
bronze in 2:13.11. Corby and Kelly were once again under the consideration time
for the European Championships.
In the
Women’s 200m Breaststroke Final Ellie McCartney won her second gold medal,
adding to 200m Individual Medley gold from earlier in the week. McCartney of
National Centre Limerick touched in a European Championships consideration time
of 2:29.20 ahead of National Centre Dublin’s Niamh Coyne (2:30.46) and
Limerick’s Olwyn Cooke (2:32.70).
Holly
McInerney, who won 1500m Freestyle silver and 400m Freestyle bronze, completed
her collection of medals with gold in the 800m Freestyle Final. The Templeogue
swimmer touched in 9:16.34 ahead of Bangor’s Eva Hand (9:21.09) and Kilkenny’s
Nessa Godden (9:25.62).
Winner in
the 200m Individual Medley, Lachey Reed of Bangor added the 50m Breaststroke
Title on Sunday. Reed clocked 29.05, just one hundredth of a second ahead of
Terenure’s Liam O’Connor in 29.06, while London 2012 Olympian and Guinness SC
swimmer Barry Murphy was third in 29.87.
In the
Women’s 50m Breaststroke Final Sunday’s Wells’ Isabelle Kidney topped the
podium in 32.31, Portmarnock’s Ava Jones was second in 32.37 with National
Centre Limerick’s Eimear Doyle third in 32.52.
The final
event of the Championships, the 50m Butterly, saw Dylan Registe claim the men’s
title in 24.61 ahead of Ennis’ Dylan O’Brien (25.17) and NAC’s Isaac
Fitzmaurice (25.23) while in the women’s final Ards’ Emma Reid and UCD’s Jena
Macdougald shared gold with both touching in 27.92. National Centre Limerick’s
Lucy O’Brien was third in 28.48.
Super
Final Results:
M 50m
Backstroke 1st J Shortt National Centre Limerick 26.11 2nd G Keogh Coolmine
26.11 3rd M Walsh Hussey NAC 26.33
W 50m
Backstroke 1st D Hill Larne 27.65 2nd J Macdougald UCD 29.03 3dr L Cullen
National Centre Ulster 29.43
M 1500m
Freestyle 1st N Wiffen Larne 15:06.48 2nd D O’Brien National Centre Limerick
16:22.96 3rd S Bugler Sundays Well 16:41.50
W 400m IM
1st E Walshe Templeogue 4:43.62 2nd H O’Connor Limerick 5:06.70 3rd N Connery
Shark 5:12.65
M 200m
Butterfly 1st J Cassin National Centre Limerick 1:59.84 2nd B McAviney National
Centre Limerick 2:04.28 3rd S Donnellan Glenalbyn 2:07.18
W 50m
Freestyle 1st G Davison Ards 26.02 2nd J Macdougald UCD 27.75 3rd E Harrington
Sundays Well 26.78
M 200m
Breaststroke 1st E Corby National Centre Limerick 2:11.37 2nd D Greene National
Centre Dublin 2:11.95 3rd J Kelly ESB 2:13.11
W 200m
Breaststroke 1st E McCartney National Centre Limerick 2:29.20 2nd N Coyne
National Centre Dublin 2:30.46 3rd O Cooke Limerick 2:32.70
M 400m IM
1st A Wilson Banbridge 4:38.40 2nd E Cousins New Ross 4:43.42 3rd L Reis
Kilkenny 4:44.76
W 200m
Freestyle 1st V Catterson National Centre Dublin 2:00.62 2nd G Davison Ards
2:00.63 3rd M Godden National Centre Limerick 2:04.95
M 100m
Freestyle 1st S Ryan National Centre Dublin 48.66 2nd E Bailey New Ross 49.58
3rd M McCusker Dolphin 49.98
W 800m
Freestyle 1st H McInerney Templeogue 9:16.34 2nd E Hand Bangor 9:21.09 3rd N
Godden Kilkenny 9:25.62
M 50m
Breaststroke 1st L Reed Bangor 29.05 2nd L O’Connor Terenure 29.06 3rd Barry
Murphy Guinness 29.87
W 50m
Breaststroke 1st I Kidney Sundays Well 2nd A Jones Portmarnock 32.37 3rd E
Doyle National Centre Limerick 32.52
M 50m
Butterfly 1st D Registe Lisburn 24.61 2nd D O’Brien Ennis 25.17 3rd I
Fitzmaurice NAC 25.23
W 50m
Butterfly 1st E Reid Ards & J Macdougald UCD 27.92 3rd L O’Brien National
Centre Limerick 28.48
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