IT WAS a day to remember for Danielle Hill as she consolidated her place as Ireland’s fastest-ever female swimmer on her way to qualifying for the Commonwealth Games final in Birmingham.
The Larne swimmer broke the Irish 50m Freestyle Record, clocking 25.15 and narrowly eclipsing her own 2021 Irish Record of 25.19.
She finished third in this evening’s first semi-final and was sixth overall, with the top eight progressing to Sunday’s final, which takes place at 8.05pm.
Australia’s Shayna Jack will be the top seed for the event, having produced a time of 24.33.
Hill was back in the pool an hour later for the 100m Backstroke Semi-Final and narrowly missed out on a spot in the final.
The 22-year-old was fifth in the first semi-final after registering a time of 1:01.74, and was ninth overall and consequently narrowly missed out on the top eight that would have secured her passage into the final.
She will, however, be the first reserve for tomorrow’s final, having been pipped by South Africa’s Rebecca Meder (1:01.71).
Hill then entered the pool for the third time for the Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final and helped a team that also included Victoria Catterson, Grace Davison and Mollie McAlorum to finish in sixth place.
The quartet’s time of 3:47.24 was a new Ulster Record, breaking the 2010 standard of 3:49.48.
Commonwealth Games Day 2 Results
Men 200m Freestyle Jack McMillan H 1:48.41 (9th)
Women 50m Freestyle Danielle Hill H 25.29 (6th) SF 25.15 (6th) ISR
Mollie McAlorum H 27.15 (27th)
Grace Davison H 27.08 (25th)
Women 100m Backstroke Danielle Hill H 1:01.85 (8th) SF 1:01.74 (9th)
Women 4x100m Freestyle Relay Northern Ireland F 3:47.24 (6th)
Commonwealth Games Day 3 Schedule
Women 50m Butterfly Danielle Hill, Kaitlyn McCaw, Grace Davison
Men 100m Freestyle Jack McMillan
Women 100m Backstroke S8 Siomha Brady
Women 50m Freestyle Final Danielle Hill