Swim Ireland - Danielle Hill Breaks Minute Barrier to Secure Olympic Qualification Time in Dublin

 

Danielle Hill starred on the opening evening of the Irish Open Swimming Championships with an Olympic Qualification Time (OQT), Irish and Championship Record of 59.11 in the 100m Backstroke. The Larne swimmer also became the first Irishwoman under the one-minute mark in the event.

Hill now joins Daniel Wiffen, Ellen Walshe and Mona McSharry who have already achieved the OQT for Paris.

With a target of 59.99, the 24-year-old was comfortably under to qualify for her second Olympic Games, the time puts her in prime position for a place on the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay.

Speaking after the race Hill said ‘We all know what happened last time (Tokyo), I was so narrowly close, I think this time, I had that 59.99, the first Irish woman to go sub 1 minute, and I just wanted to cement it, I didn’t want any questions asked, I just went for it and thankfully dipped under.’

On qualifying for her second Olympic Games Hill said ‘It’s pretty special I have to say, it’s probably a little bit more special than the first, because I know where I’ve been the past 2 or 3 years, I know where I was nine months ago, ready to walk away from the sport. This to me is a relief, but I’m ready to go again now.’

In the Men’s 100m Backstroke, Conor Feguson was once again just outside the OQT of 53.74 clocking 54.12. The Loughborough swimmer touched in 53.87 in this morning’s heats and will have another opportunity to lower that time in tomorrow’s Super Final.

National Centre Limerick’s Ellie McCartney was the fastest qualifier from this afternoon’s 200m Individual Medley for tomorrow’s Super Final. The 19-year-old clocked 2:14.92 to go under the consideration time for the European Championships next month.

Following McCartney, in the Men’s 200m Freestyle, Evan Bailey, Cormac Rynn and Jack Cassin were all under the European Championships Consideration Time. Bailey, who set a new Irish Junior Record of 1:48.49 earlier today touched in 1:48.73, the New Ross man now the fastest qualifier for tomorrow’s Super Final. Rynn, who swims for National Centre Limerick and Trident qualified in 1:50.26, making it his first qualification for an international team, while Jack Cassin, also of National Centre Limerick, touched in 1:50.22.

The last event of the first day saw Banbridge’s Alana Burns-Atkin progress to tomorrow’s Super Final as top seed in 2:17.77.

On Thursday, Tokyo Olympian Darragh Greene takes to the blocks for the 100m Breaststroke Heats. The Women’s 100m Freestyle will see a number of athletes look to claim a place on the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay for Paris. Tom Fannon will look to replicate his Irish Record of 21.95 to secure qualification for the Games in the 50m Freestyle. Irish Record holder Max McCusker takes to the pool in the 100m Butterfly while Niamh Coyne is the fastest entry in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke.