IRELAND’S ELLIE MCCARTNEY has finished seventh in the 200m Breaststroke final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
The 20-year-old clocked 2:25.22 in her first world final at her debut long-course global championships.
USA’s Kate Douglas took gold in a championship record time of 2:18.50, with neutral athlete Evgeniia Chikunova (2:19.96) and Kaylene Corbett of South Africa (2:23.52) home second and third respectively.
McCartney swam a lifetime best in Thursday’s semi-finals, touching in 2:23.79 to finish third and knock a quarter of a second off her previous best time. The Enniskillen native progressed to the final as the sixth fastest qualifier.
It’s an incredible experience,” said McCartney after finishing seventh in the world. “You know, I don’t have high expectations coming into the final. At the start of this year, all I wanted to do is qualify for the world champs, so constantly this year, as the season progressed, we had to keep on moving that target, and I never thought it would be a final.
“But we’re here now, I have now swum a world long course final. It’s something not many people have done.
McCartney added: “I mean, tonight’s swim may not have been the fastest I’ve ever been, but I came into this meet seeded 18th and I finished seventh, so progression is what it is; and just moving forward through each of the rounds, and I’ll take a learning from this time and hopefully apply it to future competitions.”
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Earlier, Tom Fannon finished seventh in his 50m Freestyle semi-final. He clocked 21.81 seconds in the splash and dash, and was 0.13 off a place in the final.
The National Centre Dublin swimmer finished fifth in his heat in 21.87 seconds, advancing in 14th overall.
Fannon remains just outside his own Irish record of 21.74, set during his Olympic semi-final in Paris last summer.
“Yeah good, mixed emotions,” the 27-year-old said after his heat.
“I know I can be faster than that, made a massive mistake on the entry, hands, I felt them come apart and I was like ‘do not panic’, this is the last thing you want to do, especially when you’re amongst these, you know, amazing 50 Freestylers is panic.
“And I think I controlled that pretty well, Steve (Beckerleg, coach), he might say too well. Yeah, quick to make the semi, which means it’s going to be even quicker to make the final, so no mistakes tonight, go back, recover and just do my best.”
Ireland's Tom Fannon. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Elsewhere, Jack Cassin continued his good form with a lifetime best swim of 52.84 in the 100m Butterfly, going under 53 seconds for the first time to finish second in his heat. The National Centre Limerick swimmer had a previous best of 53.05 from the European U23 Championships in June.
“You know, this season I’ve been doing a lot of fly, I kind of wanted to push back a little bit on the free and definitely focus on the fly.
“I’m so happy, you know, I started this season in a 54.0, so to go 52.8, after the 200m fly where I was 1.57, I’m really proud of that. It’s been a long season, you know, when you get into late July, August, everyone starts getting a bit tired, but I’m so happy with the work that we’ve done.”
Ireland were also in action in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay. 200m Freestyle semi-finalist Evan Bailey, Cormac Rynn, Jack Cassin and 200m Backstroke semi-finalist John Shortt combined for a time of 7:16.70.
Bailey led off in 1:47.02, Cormac Rynn, clocked 1:49.51, while Cassin and Shortt touched in 1:50.07 and 1:50.10 to place the team fourteenth overall.
Results – Day 6 Friday 1 August
Men 100m Butterfly: Jack Cassin — 52.84 (34th)
Men 50m Freestyle: Tom Fannon — 21.87 (14th)
Men 4x200m Freestyle Relay: Evan Bailey, Cormac Rynn, Jack Cassin, John Shortt – 7:16.70 (14th)
Schedule – Day 6 Friday 1 August
Men 50m Freestyle semi-final: Tom Fannon – 21.81 (7th)
Women 200m Breaststroke Final: Ellie McCartney – 2:25.22 (7th)
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Ireland's Ellie McCartney finishes seventh in World Aquatics Championships final
LAST UPDATE | 1 Aug 2025
IRELAND’S ELLIE MCCARTNEY has finished seventh in the 200m Breaststroke final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
The 20-year-old clocked 2:25.22 in her first world final at her debut long-course global championships.
USA’s Kate Douglas took gold in a championship record time of 2:18.50, with neutral athlete Evgeniia Chikunova (2:19.96) and Kaylene Corbett of South Africa (2:23.52) home second and third respectively.
McCartney swam a lifetime best in Thursday’s semi-finals, touching in 2:23.79 to finish third and knock a quarter of a second off her previous best time. The Enniskillen native progressed to the final as the sixth fastest qualifier.
It’s an incredible experience,” said McCartney after finishing seventh in the world. “You know, I don’t have high expectations coming into the final. At the start of this year, all I wanted to do is qualify for the world champs, so constantly this year, as the season progressed, we had to keep on moving that target, and I never thought it would be a final.
“But we’re here now, I have now swum a world long course final. It’s something not many people have done.
McCartney added: “I mean, tonight’s swim may not have been the fastest I’ve ever been, but I came into this meet seeded 18th and I finished seventh, so progression is what it is; and just moving forward through each of the rounds, and I’ll take a learning from this time and hopefully apply it to future competitions.”
Earlier, Tom Fannon finished seventh in his 50m Freestyle semi-final. He clocked 21.81 seconds in the splash and dash, and was 0.13 off a place in the final.
The National Centre Dublin swimmer finished fifth in his heat in 21.87 seconds, advancing in 14th overall.
Fannon remains just outside his own Irish record of 21.74, set during his Olympic semi-final in Paris last summer.
“Yeah good, mixed emotions,” the 27-year-old said after his heat.
“I know I can be faster than that, made a massive mistake on the entry, hands, I felt them come apart and I was like ‘do not panic’, this is the last thing you want to do, especially when you’re amongst these, you know, amazing 50 Freestylers is panic.
“And I think I controlled that pretty well, Steve (Beckerleg, coach), he might say too well. Yeah, quick to make the semi, which means it’s going to be even quicker to make the final, so no mistakes tonight, go back, recover and just do my best.”
Elsewhere, Jack Cassin continued his good form with a lifetime best swim of 52.84 in the 100m Butterfly, going under 53 seconds for the first time to finish second in his heat. The National Centre Limerick swimmer had a previous best of 53.05 from the European U23 Championships in June.
“You know, this season I’ve been doing a lot of fly, I kind of wanted to push back a little bit on the free and definitely focus on the fly.
“I’m so happy, you know, I started this season in a 54.0, so to go 52.8, after the 200m fly where I was 1.57, I’m really proud of that. It’s been a long season, you know, when you get into late July, August, everyone starts getting a bit tired, but I’m so happy with the work that we’ve done.”
Ireland were also in action in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay. 200m Freestyle semi-finalist Evan Bailey, Cormac Rynn, Jack Cassin and 200m Backstroke semi-finalist John Shortt combined for a time of 7:16.70.
Bailey led off in 1:47.02, Cormac Rynn, clocked 1:49.51, while Cassin and Shortt touched in 1:50.07 and 1:50.10 to place the team fourteenth overall.
Results – Day 6 Friday 1 August
Schedule – Day 6 Friday 1 August
- Additional reporting from Emma Duffy
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Swimming Tom Fannon World Aquatics championships