Team Ireland swimmers had one of
their most productive mornings so far on the penultimate day of racing at the
World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Day six saw Daniel Wiffen
qualify for the 1500m Freestyle Final, and Conor Ferguson and Mona McSharry
advance to the semi-finals of the 50m Backstroke and 50m Breaststroke
respectively.
Daniel Wiffen will compete in
tomorrow’s 1500m Freestyle Final after an impressive heat swim of 14:43.50.
Wiffen lead for much of the race with the USA’s Bobby Finke (14:43.06) by his
side. Finke took over the lead at the 1000m mark and the pair were separated in
the end by only .44. The duo secured the centre lines for the final with the
two fastest preliminary times. 800m Freestyle World Champion Ahmed Hafnaoui
(Tunisia) was the next fastest qualifier winning the third heat in 14:49.53.
Wiffen commented after the race ‘It
was great, my strategy was to go in and break up the field and I did that quite
well and then after about 500m sit back on a good pace that would get me
through to the final so I did that, it was good, a good race as well there with
the American Bobby Finke, but it was alright, it was fun’.
Wiffen has big plans for tomorrow’s
final saying ‘I think I’m still going with my aspirations of hitting that World
Record (14:31.01), need to get out now, get some recovery done for tomorrow
night, 36 hours, get that done and have a good final. It hurt a little, but I’m
holding back still, so still that bit left’.
Wiffen’s best time is a 14:34.91,
which he swam in Sweden earlier this year. That swim has him ranked as the
fifth fastest man in the world ever and is the fastest time of any of the
swimmers competing in tomorrow’s Final.
The Men’s 1500m Freestyle Final will
take place tomorrow (Sunday) at 12.16pm (Ireland).
Conor Ferguson advances to his first
ever World Championships Semi-Final after a brilliant fifth place finish in his
heat of the 50m Backstroke. The 23-year-old placed 11th overall in 24.95, just
.14 of a second off his best time of 24.81 from 2021.
Speaking after the race Ferguson said
‘I’m good, happy with that this morning, I think the first swim on Monday (100m
Backstroke) I was a bit nervous for. I’ve had a week to really relax, reflect
on that swim and use that disappointment to fuel me into this 50m so yeah, I’m
looking forward to tonight.
Looking ahead to this evening’s
semi-final, the Loughborough University swimmer said, ‘I’ve definitely got a pb
in me tonight, bit of a primer this morning will do me good, go back, sleep,
recover and get ready for tonight’.
Mona McSharry made it three from
three for semi-finals advancing in the 50m Breaststroke this morning. The
22-year-old, who has already been fifth in the 100m Breaststroke Final and
featured in the 200m Breaststroke semi-final, progresses in twelfth place in
30.45, just off her Irish Record of 30.29 from the Irish Open Championships in
April this year.
McSharry commented after the race
‘I’m happy, you know it wasn’t a bad morning swim, probably one of the fastest
I’ve done in the morning, you’ve got to love the 50m, it’s a nice one to end
on, a sprint and get the hands on the wall first.’
Looking ahead to this afternoon’s
semi-final and McSharry has a target ‘I would love to break the 30 point, we’ll
see what happens, in the 50m it needs to be perfect, but I’m well able to do
that.’
Also, in action this morning,
Danielle Hill clocked 25.55 in the 50m Freestyle in her final individual swim
of the Championships. Hill is back tomorrow for the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay
‘I’m happy, yesterday, and today were all about finding a way to swim fast in
the morning because I know I have to step up tomorrow and do that, not only for
myself but for those girls’.
Reactions available HERE. https://soundcloud.com/swim-ireland
Saturday 28th July Results
Women 50m Freestyle Danielle Hill
25.55 (30th)
Men 50m Backstroke Conor Ferguson
24.95 (11th)
Women 50 Breaststroke Mona McSharry
30.45 (12th)
Men 1500m Freestyle Daniel Wiffen
14:43.50 (2nd)
Saturday 28th July Schedule
Women 50 Breaststroke Semi-Final Mona
McSharry 12.26pm (Ireland)
Men 50m Backstroke Semi-Final Conor Ferguson 1:06pm (Ireland)
The World Aquatics Championships in
Fukuoka is the first of three opportunities for Irish swimmers to secure
individual Olympic places, the second being the World Aquatics Championships in
Doha, Qatar in February 2024, and the third being the Irish Open Swimming
Championships in May 2024.
For relays, the top three teams in
Olympic relay events in Fukuoka will confirm places for Paris, with the
remaining thirteen teams coming from the top times in Fukuoka and the Doha
World Aquatics Championships.
Swimming at the World Aquatics
Championships will take place from Sunday 23rd to Sunday 30th July.
No comments:
Post a Comment