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Fiona Doyle (file photo). ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
Swimming

Stallard, Doyle into 200m breaststroke semis

Ireland also qualified for the final of the women’s 4x200m freestyle during this morning’s session at the European Swimming Championships.

IRELAND’S SHANI STALLARD and Fiona Doyle have qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s 200m breaststroke at the European Swimming Championships in Debrecen, Hungary.

Stallard could only manage a sixth-place finish in her heat this morning but a time of 2:31.87 was good enough to see the 18-year-old finish 13th overall.

Swimming in the final heat, Doyle snatched the 16th and final semi-final place with a time of 2:32.20, pipping Noora Laukkanen of Finland by just one one-hundredth of a second.

In the women’s 4x200m freestyle heats, the Irish quartet of Sycerika McMahon, Melanie Nocher, Nuala Murphy and Bethany Carson qualified for tonight’s final.

The Irish team were seventh fastest with a time of 8:13.30, but with four Olympic places still at stake, they will need a dramatic improvement tonight if they are to qualify for London.

Earlier this morning, Carson dropped out of the women’s 100m butterfly in order to concentrate on the relay.

Nocher delighted by Olympic qualification