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Greene set a new Irish record in the heats of the 100m Breaststroke. Andrea Staccioli/INPHO
Olympic Games

Darragh Greene secures Olympic qualification time as Longford swimmer set for Tokyo 2020

Greene’s time in South Korea pre-validates him for the 2020 Games in Tokyo next summer.

DARRAGH GREENE HAS become the first Irish swimmer to go inside the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualification time.

The Longford athlete set a new Irish record in the heats of the 100m Breaststroke in Gwangju, South Korea today at the 2019 FINA World Championships.

Greene had been under the time at the LEN European Championships in Glasgow last year where he clocked 59.92 and was the first Irishman to break the one-minute barrier in the event.

His time today, 59.82 was .11 under the FINA A time for Olympic qualification and pre-validates the National Centre Dublin swimmer for the 2020 Games.

Despite the outstanding time, the Longford man just missed a place in the semi-final by seven hundredths of a second in 17th place overall, the first time ever a 59 second swim has not made a semi-final at a World Championships.

“Bit of mixed feelings with the result,” he said.

“I can’t complain, I stood up, did a job, got my pre-validation for the Olympic Games in Tokyo — so to do that first day of the competition, yeah I’m happy.

Darragh Greene breaks the Irish record for 200m Breastroke The Longford swimmer missed a place in the 100m Breaststroke semi-final by seven hundredths of a second. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

“It really is a tough competition, to stand up with the worlds best, everyone’s swimming fast so it’s good to get that under the belt.”

Greene will be back in action on Tuesday in the 50m Breaststroke Heats.

Ireland’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay of Shane Ryan, Robbie Powell, Jordan Sloan and Jack McMillan were also in record breaking form this morning.

The quartet combined for a time of 3:17.38 in the heats, knocking two tenths of a second off the previous record (3:17.55) set at the 2018 European Championships.

Templeogue Swimming Club’s Ellen Walshe aso made an impressive debut in her first senior international event.

The 17-year-old swam her third fastest time ever in heat three of the 100m Butterfly where she finished in 7th place in 1:00.85.

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