IRELAND’S DANIEL WIFFEN has qualified for Wednesday’s 800m Freestyle final at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
Wiffen and his brother, Nathan, were both competing in Heat 4. The former advanced with a season’s best time of 7:44.86 — more than four seconds quicker than his performance at last month’s Commonwealth Games final — while his the latter was eighth after registering 7:57.08.
“Unbelievable,” said Daniel. “I’m so happy. Coming into this, I went 7:48 at the Commonwealth Games to get fourth place and I didn’t know what shape I was going to be in or whether I’d make the final.
“To drop a time like that after a week of resting post-Commonwealth Games, I’m really happy. I even went out really quick through 400m, so it’s a good sign for the final.”
Earlier, Mona McSharry and Ellie McCartney progressed to the Women’s 100m Breaststroke semi-finals.
McSharry finished second in her heat – and second overall – in a season’s best time of 1:05.97 as the Olympic bronze medallist laid down an early marker.
“Having gone 1:05, I’m like: ‘That’s fine, good morning swim,” McSharry said afterwards. “I’m happy, going to build on it tonight and hopefully go faster.
“I thought I didn’t have another four years in me and I thought after 2024, I’d be done, because there was a bit of a push to get to that point. But took a break, came back, and I’m really enjoying it, so we’re just flowing with that.”
McCartney was eighth in the same heat in 1:07.96, and squeezed through thanks to the two-per-nation rule.
The recent Commonwealth Games medallist placed 18th overall, but was elevated to the fastest 16 who progress to Tuesday evening’s semi-finals as Italy and NAB could only see two swimmers qualify.
“I’m super happy,” McCartney said. “I’ve struggled with the 100 breaststroke; it wasn’t great throughout the later season in Glasgow, so to come here and improve it by almost a second and make it back tonight, I’m really happy.”
Heat winner Angharad Evans of Great Britain was the overall fastest qualifier in a new championship record of 1:05.45.
John Shortt continued a positive morning for the Irish in Paris as he advanced to the Men’s 200m Backstroke semi-finals.
The European senior short-course champion and junior world champion finished fourth in his heat – and ninth overall – in 1:56.50.
France’s Nathan Muratory broke Shortt’s world junior record to win the heat and secure the fastest qualifying time of 1:54.87. The Galwegian congratulated him afterwards as his attention turns to the evening session.
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“There are always little worries when you’re going into your main event, especially so early into the competition – you don’t really know how you or anyone else is going to be,” Shortt said.
“But I just made sure I stuck to my routine this morning, went through the motions out there and it was really good.
“I’ve done so many competitions and haven’t got a huge amount of time off, and I think that’s paid off in the sense that I know how to handle these high-press scenarios.”
Meanwhile, in the Men’s 800m Freestyle Heat 2, Liam Custer finished fifth with a time of 8:06.89.
In the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Heat 3, Ireland finished sixth.
The team of Lottie Cullen, Darragh Greene, Jack Cassin and Grace Davison registered a time of 3:48.34 and did not advance.
Earlier, Ellen Walshe won her Women’s 50m Butterfly heat, but did not progress to the semi-finals.
Walshe won the second heat in 26.62 seconds – 0.17 off Danielle Hill’s Irish record – though finished outside the fastest 16 who progress to Monday evening’s semi-finals.
The Dubliner was 26th overall, with 26.32 the final qualifying mark and Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom the fastest home in 25.40.
Alana Burns-Atkin finished eighth in the same heat as Walshe in 28.01, placing 49th overall. Rosalie Phelan was 10th in a later heat in a time of 27.38, leaving her 44th as the Irish trio missed out on progression.
Meanwhile, Evan Bailey and Matthew Hamilton did not advance from the Men’s 100m Freestyle heats.
Bailey finished second in his heat in 48.97, while Hamilton was ninth in his in 50.45. The pair were 32nd and 74th overall respectively, with the top 16 similarly advancing.
Romania’s David Popovici was the fastest qualifier by a distance in 47.13, while those inside 48.50 progressed.
Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen (Men’s 800m Freestyle) is among the other Irish swimmers in action in Tuesday’s morning session.
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Wiffen, McSharry, McCartney, and Shortt advance at European Aquatics Championships
LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago
Updated at 11:50am
IRELAND’S DANIEL WIFFEN has qualified for Wednesday’s 800m Freestyle final at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
Wiffen and his brother, Nathan, were both competing in Heat 4. The former advanced with a season’s best time of 7:44.86 — more than four seconds quicker than his performance at last month’s Commonwealth Games final — while his the latter was eighth after registering 7:57.08.
“Unbelievable,” said Daniel. “I’m so happy. Coming into this, I went 7:48 at the Commonwealth Games to get fourth place and I didn’t know what shape I was going to be in or whether I’d make the final.
“To drop a time like that after a week of resting post-Commonwealth Games, I’m really happy. I even went out really quick through 400m, so it’s a good sign for the final.”
Earlier, Mona McSharry and Ellie McCartney progressed to the Women’s 100m Breaststroke semi-finals.
McSharry finished second in her heat – and second overall – in a season’s best time of 1:05.97 as the Olympic bronze medallist laid down an early marker.
“Having gone 1:05, I’m like: ‘That’s fine, good morning swim,” McSharry said afterwards. “I’m happy, going to build on it tonight and hopefully go faster.
“I thought I didn’t have another four years in me and I thought after 2024, I’d be done, because there was a bit of a push to get to that point. But took a break, came back, and I’m really enjoying it, so we’re just flowing with that.”
McCartney was eighth in the same heat in 1:07.96, and squeezed through thanks to the two-per-nation rule.
The recent Commonwealth Games medallist placed 18th overall, but was elevated to the fastest 16 who progress to Tuesday evening’s semi-finals as Italy and NAB could only see two swimmers qualify.
“I’m super happy,” McCartney said. “I’ve struggled with the 100 breaststroke; it wasn’t great throughout the later season in Glasgow, so to come here and improve it by almost a second and make it back tonight, I’m really happy.”
Heat winner Angharad Evans of Great Britain was the overall fastest qualifier in a new championship record of 1:05.45.
John Shortt continued a positive morning for the Irish in Paris as he advanced to the Men’s 200m Backstroke semi-finals.
The European senior short-course champion and junior world champion finished fourth in his heat – and ninth overall – in 1:56.50.
France’s Nathan Muratory broke Shortt’s world junior record to win the heat and secure the fastest qualifying time of 1:54.87. The Galwegian congratulated him afterwards as his attention turns to the evening session.
“There are always little worries when you’re going into your main event, especially so early into the competition – you don’t really know how you or anyone else is going to be,” Shortt said.
“But I just made sure I stuck to my routine this morning, went through the motions out there and it was really good.
“I’ve done so many competitions and haven’t got a huge amount of time off, and I think that’s paid off in the sense that I know how to handle these high-press scenarios.”
Meanwhile, in the Men’s 800m Freestyle Heat 2, Liam Custer finished fifth with a time of 8:06.89.
In the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Heat 3, Ireland finished sixth.
The team of Lottie Cullen, Darragh Greene, Jack Cassin and Grace Davison registered a time of 3:48.34 and did not advance.
Earlier, Ellen Walshe won her Women’s 50m Butterfly heat, but did not progress to the semi-finals.
Walshe won the second heat in 26.62 seconds – 0.17 off Danielle Hill’s Irish record – though finished outside the fastest 16 who progress to Monday evening’s semi-finals.
The Dubliner was 26th overall, with 26.32 the final qualifying mark and Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom the fastest home in 25.40.
Alana Burns-Atkin finished eighth in the same heat as Walshe in 28.01, placing 49th overall. Rosalie Phelan was 10th in a later heat in a time of 27.38, leaving her 44th as the Irish trio missed out on progression.
Meanwhile, Evan Bailey and Matthew Hamilton did not advance from the Men’s 100m Freestyle heats.
Bailey finished second in his heat in 48.97, while Hamilton was ninth in his in 50.45. The pair were 32nd and 74th overall respectively, with the top 16 similarly advancing.
Romania’s David Popovici was the fastest qualifier by a distance in 47.13, while those inside 48.50 progressed.
Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen (Men’s 800m Freestyle) is among the other Irish swimmers in action in Tuesday’s morning session.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
More to follow.
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