Daniel
Wiffen and Mona McSharry are the fastest qualifiers in the finals of the 800m
Freestyle and 200m Breaststroke respectively as the final session of
competition get's underway from 6pm this evening at the Sport Ireland National
aquatic Centre. McSharry will be on the hunt to complete a hat-trick of gold
medals, as she was crowned European U23 Swimming Champion in the 50m and 100m
Breaststroke during the first two days. Wiffen who recently set the European
record for the 800m in Japan last month will be looking to add another gold
medal after winning the 1500m on Friday.
Double U23
European Champion Ellen Walshe will be making her fourth appearance in a final
this weekend as she competes in the 50m Butterfly, while Maria Godden will be
back in her third final as she takes to the pool in the 200m Backstroke. Also
in action, Grace Hodgins will compete in the 1500m Freestyle final.
Sligo’s
Mona McSharry, for the third time this weekend, opened competition for Team
Ireland on the final day of the LEN Dublin Under 23 European Swimming
Championships. The University of Tennessee swimmer eased into tonight’s final
of the 200m Breaststroke winning her heat with a time of 2.27.27, to record the
fastest time of the morning. McSharry will now go into tonight’s final with a
chance of winning her third gold medal of the Dublin based championships.
Speaking
after her swim McSharry said, “Pretty good, happy with that, it’s just about
getting the job done today, one more race tonight, we’ll see what my body can
do. Just go out, have fun and race. I’m happy (with my performances this
weekend), I knew it was going to be tough coming into this meet, I didn’t know
what to expect and honestly, fair play to the staff and the other athletes
here, it’s been awesome, really enjoyable, cheering us on, great atmosphere and
I think that’s made the world of difference.”
Ellen
Walshe competed against a strong field in the Women’s 50m Butterfly, her time
of 27.19 was good enough for the Templeogue swimmer to qualify for her fourth
final of these championships. Walshe finished as the eighth fastest athlete
overall out of four heats.
Reflecting
on her race Walshe said, “Yeah it was just like last day, last one and I always
wanted to make it into the final to probably hear that crowd again tonight and
I’m delighted to be back in 8th position. It’s been a tough couple of months,
coming back from illness, I’m delighted to be back on the world stage and then
to finish off with a home crowd, it’s really really nice.”
After
coming very close to her first European medal last night in the Women’s 100m
Backstroke, Maria Godden is back in a final this evening after posting 2:14.76
in the Women’s 200m Backstroke. She will go into tonight’s final ranked fifth.
Commenting
after her race Godden said, “I probably would of like to have been a little
quicker there but after over-rating the 100m backstroke yesterday I was really
trying to focus on just holding the water and just keeping the rate low enough
that I was actually moving. I’m happy enough and as you said my third final, to
be honest I came into this meet hoping to make one final so to be in three and
to be representing Ireland I’m really pleased with how it’s been going so far.
It’s amazing, I’m a little emotional about it to be honest, a lot of my friends
and family have never seen me swim live before so it’s just really special
having everyone cheer me on and it definitely makes the 200m that little bit
easier.”
16-year-old
John Shortt, the youngest member of Team Ireland, closed out his competition at
these championships after the Men’s 100m Backstroke, finishing in twenty-fifth
place with a time of 56.95, this puts the Galway swimmer outside of the top ten
needed to qualify through to the final.
Shortt
has had an incredible year, breaking the Junior and Senior National Record in
the 200m Backstroke, he’s also represented Team Ireland at the European Junior
Championships, World Aquatics Championships and finally the LEN Under 23
European Championships.
Speaking
about his achievements this year Shortt said, “Just grateful to be honest, I
really couldn’t have done without my family, my coaches, they’ve all been
amazing over this last nine or ten months, I’m just really grateful that I’m
able to race at these really high level meets with the Irish flag on my cap,
it’s an absolute honour, I’m really proud of myself to be honest.”
Even
though Shortt is still young, his time in the 200m Backstroke is very close to
the qualifying time for Paris 2024, “Absolutely, it’s a big year and I do
really feel with the right training, I’ve amazing coaches both in Galway and in
Limerick so there’s absolutely no doubt with the right training, the right
attitude, I can be on that team and I really want to be, getting that first
Olympics, I’m 17 next year so it’ll set me up really well for Los Angeles
(2028), I can make that team and do a bit of damage.”
The Men’s
100m Freestyle featured two Irish athletes, Evan Bailey and Matthew
Walsh-Hussey. Wexford’s Bailey was the first home with a time of 51.29 to
finish in fifty-third place overall, followed by Walsh-Hussey in sixtieth place
overall with a time of 52.09.
Speaking
about opening his competition and competing at his debut Under 23 European
Championships, Dubliner Walsh-Hussey said, “It’s great, I wasn’t incredibly
happy with the swim but it’s such a great opportunity, I’m so proud to be
representing my country and it’s great to be around so many talented Irish
athletes and it just motivates me to work harder every day. It’s so much
different to a club programme (speaking on competing with Team Ireland)
everyone is so hungry to do well, and it motivates everyone to do well, there’s
such a great atmosphere around the team that I think it’s just so good. It’s
amazing, looking up at the crowd and you see a wave of green, it’s incredible.”
In the
Men’s 100m Breaststroke, Limerick’s Eoin Corby and Terenure’s Liam O’Connor
were in action for Team Ireland. Competing in a strong field, Corby finished in
thirteenth place with a time of 1:02.19, narrowly missing out on a final place
by 0.65 of a second. O’Connor closes his weekend in twenty-eight place overall
with a time of 1:04.07. Jack Cassin, competing in the 200m Individual Medley
closes out his competition also, finishing in thirty-first place with a time of
2:05.96 in the 200m Individual Medley.
In the
Women’s 100m Freestyle, Victoria Catterson came home in 56.21 for twelfth place
overall, while Oisin Tebite went 25.62 in the 50m Butterfly to finish in
forty-fourth place overall, rounding out his international senior debut.
The Irish
relay team were in action this morning in the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle. Evan Bailey,
who led the team off, was joined by Matthew Walsh-Hussey, with Maria Godden
taking the third leg and Victoria Catterson anchored the team home. There was
stiff competition, but the Irish team gave a brave performance to finish in
seventh place in their heat with a time of 3:36.76 which meant they finished in
fourteenth place narrowly missing out on a final.
Heat
Results Sunday 13th August 2023
F 200m
Breaststroke Mona McSharry 2:27.27 (1)
M 100m
Backstroke John Shortt 56.95 (25)
F 50m
Butterfly Ellen Walshe 27.19 (8)
M 100m
Freestyle Evan Bailey 51.29 (53)
Matthew
Walsh-Hussey 52.09 (60)
F 200m
Backstroke Maria Godden 2:14.76 (5)
M 100m
Breaststroke Eoin Corby 1:02.19 (13)
Liam
O’Connor 1:04.07 (28)
F 100m
Freestyle Victoria Catterson 56.21 (12)
M 50m
Butterfly Oisin Tebite 25.62 (44)
M 200m
Individual Medley Jack Cassin 2:05.96 (31)
Mixed
4x100m Freestyle Relay Ireland 3:36.76 (14)
Finals
Schedule Sunday 13th August 2023
F 200m
Breaststroke Final Mona McSharry 18:00
F 50m
Butterfly Final Ellen Walshe 18:19
F 1500m
Freestyle Final Grace Hodgins 18:37
F 200m
Backstroke Final Maria Godden 19:00
M 800m
Freestyle Final Daniel Wiffen 19:47
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