Irish
swimmers delivered three gold and a silver medal at the LEN European Under 23
Swimming Championships 2023 at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre to end
the opening night of competition at the top of the medal table. Mona McSharry,
Ellen Walshe and Daniel Wiffen all clinched gold medals with Walshe also adding
silver to her collection.
Mona
McSharry got the finals of the LEN Dublin European U23 Championships 2023 off
to the perfect start as she secured the first ever medal of the inaugural LEN
U23 Championships in front of her home support in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke
Final. McSharry won gold in a brilliant time of 30:37, powering home over the
last 5 metres, to edge ahead Italy’s Anita Bottazzo.
Speaking
after her gold medal performance McSharry said “I was just going out there
trying to race, have some fun and get my hands on the wall first. This morning
was a pretty good race and I was just trying to top that and go faster, and I
did so I can’t but be happy with it and then to come out with a gold is just
awesome. It’s a great way to start the meet.”
Delighted
to be competing in Ireland McSharry said “It’s amazing, I think coming into it
I wasn’t sure what to expect but even yesterday in the build-up and hearing
people were coming and having my family and friends and all being able to sit
in the stands is just awesome you know, there’s just so many more familiar
faces, it’s not just one or two it’s 90% of the crowd is Irish so that’s
awesome!”
Ellen
Walshe had an outstanding night in the pool as she was crowned European U23
Champion in the 200m individual Medley as well as winning 100m Butterfly
silver.
Walshe’s
first final was the 100m Butterfly, where she produced a stirring comeback. The
Templeogue woman looked to be in trouble after the first 50 when she turned in
eighth place overall, but she produced the fastest second 50m of any swimmer in
the pool thundering home in 30.4 seconds to claim second place in 58.70,
missing the gold medal by just 2 tenths
of a second to Keanna McInnes from Great Britain.
Speaking
about her silver medal performance Walshe said “ I knew it was going to be a
tough one after three swims this morning. It’s not a personal best but it’s
better than it has been so yeah, I’m happy enough with it.”
“It’s
been tough since coming back from worlds, getting back into the swing of
things. Having another home competition made things a little bit easier for me
but, yeah, listen I’m happy enough with tonight’s swim and to come away with a
medal for Ireland, we don’t often get that so, delighted.”
In
contrast to the Butterfly race, it was Walshe that that was in control in the
200m Individual Medley as she claimed Ireland’s second gold medal of the day.
Walshe’s time of 2:13.12 saw her reach the end narrowly in second place behind
Justina Kozan, but as that swimmer is from the USA the gold medal goes to
Walshe as the fastest European. In an exceptional race Walshe turned after 100
metres in first place before powering through in the Breaststroke leg to turn
for home, knowing the American’s strongest stroke was her freestyle, Walshe
battled gamely to hold on to the lead but was caught by Kozan in the end. A
second gold medal and second European U23 Champion for Ireland.
Speaking
after the race Walshe said “I’ve never won a European medal in my life, I’ve
got a youth medal but I haven’t got a European medal, it’s Under 23’s, it’s
probably my only year I will be able to get this medal so I’m delighted to take
gold for the 200IM today”
Daniel
Wiffen electrified the Irish crowd in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle final as he
produced a world class performance to win Ireland’s third gold medal, recording
the 8th fastest time ever by a European over the distance. Wiffen lead from the
very first 50m length and never relinquished the lead over the following 29 as
he flirted with both World and European records at different stages of his swim.
Wiffen cruised home to win gold in 14:35.79, just outside his best time of
14:34.91, after an extraordinary performance in front of a raucous home
attendance.
Speaking
after his brilliant performance Wiffen said “It feels amazing, we’re not really
looking for individual success in this team coming into this meet, that was the
world champs. This goal is to have a big team atmosphere, to support each other
and deliver and we have three golds and a silver tonight so, amazing.”
Speaking
about his time Wiffen said “I had no idea (I was so close to the European
record) I thought I was way over my time and then to look back and see my time,
it’s just special. It shows I still got the training bank in me and that, maybe
I’ll go even faster in my other events after.”
Maria
Godden enjoyed a strong performance in her 50m Backstroke Final as she took two
tenths of a second off her time from the morning heats to come home in sixth
place in 28.98, a new personal best for the National Centre Limerick swimmer.
It looked as if the race might have gotten away from her, but Godden dug deep
in the final 25m to record an excellent sixth place in a strong race which was
won by Tessa Giele from the Netherlands with a time of 27:96.
Grace
Hodgins got her LEN Dublin European u23 Swimming Championships underway in the
800m Freestyle. Hodgins showed real grit throughout the gruelling event as she
battled with South Africa’s Janie Coetzer. In the end Hodgins edged out Coetzer
to take eighth place in a strong race which was won by Germany’s Isobel Gose in
8:20.8.
Competition
continues tomorrow with gold medallists McSharry, Wiffen and Walshe all
returning to action.
Results
Friday 11th August 2023
F 50m
Breaststroke Mona McSharry 30.66 (2) F 30.37 (1)
M 200m
Backstroke John Shortt 2:00.18 (12)
W 100m
Butterfly Ellen Walshe 58.86 (2)F
58.70 (2)
F 50m
Backstroke Maria Godden 29.20 (8)F
28.98 (6)
M 50m
Breaststroke Eoin Corby 28.10 (14)
Liam
O’Connor 29.02 (27)
F 200m
Freestyle Victoria Catterson 2:01.70 (11)
M 100m
Butterfly Jack Cassin 54.07 (27)
Evan
Bailey 54.22 (30) IJR
F 200m IM
Ellen Walshe 2:15.01 (2) F 2:13.12
(1)
Mix 400m
Medley Relay Ireland 3:54.74 (12)
F 800m
Freestyle Final Grace Hodgins F 8:59.54 (10)
M 1500m
Freestyle Daniel WiffeN F 14:35.79 (1)
Schedule
Saturday 12th August 2023
F 400m
Freestyle Grace Hodgins
M 400m
Freestyle Daniel Wiffen
F 100m
Breaststroke Mona McSharry
Molly
Mayne
M 50m
Backstroke John Shortt
M 50m
Freestyle Oisin Tebite
Matthew
Walsh-Hussey
W 100m
Backstroke Maria Godden
M 200m
Breaststroke Eoin Corby
Liam
O’Connor
F 50m
Freestyle Mona McSharry
M 200m
Butterfly Jack Cassin
W 400m
Individual Medley Ellen Walshe
No comments:
Post a Comment