Updated 18.05
SWIMMER FIONA DOYLE won Ireland’s first medal at the World University Games this afternoon.
Limerick’s Doyle delivered a personal best performance to win silver in the 100m breaststroke and smash her own Irish senior record.
Gold went to Russia’s Iulia Efimova who set a new university record with a blistering time of 1:05.48.
Twenty-one-year old Doyle, who trains at the University of Calgary in Canada, was third at the turn but improved over the final 50 metres to finish in 1:07.66 ahead of Laura Sogar of the USA.
She said: “I’m over the moon. This is what I came here to do and I can’t wait for Worlds now [in Barcelona later this month].”
Doyle is back in the water tomorrow when she competes in the heats of the 200m breaststroke, another event in which she holds the Irish senior record.
The 27th Summer University Games continue in Kazan, Russia until 17 July.
– Originally published 17.47
