SHANE RYAN COMPLETED a memorable day for Irish sport as he produced a strong performance to claim 50 metre backstroke bronze at the European Swimming Championships in Glasgow on Saturday evening.
Ryan, the 2016 Rio Olympian, had powered through the heats and semi-finals earlier in the week and continued his good form in the pool earlier, clocking a time of 24.64 to finish on the podium.
It is his second senior medal having won gold in the 50m backstroke at the 2017 University Games.
“Everyone loves a medal and we thought that Shane’s 50m Backstroke was our best chance of one before the meet started,” Swim Ireland national performance director, Jon Rudd, said.
“That’s not to say more aren’t possible but we’re keeping our focus on the controllables – lifetime best performances here in Glasgow – and if they continue to happen, then we’ll continue to get second swims in semi-finals and finals.”
Russian Kliment Kolesnikov won the gold medal as he set a new world record, to finish ahead of Romania’s Robert-Andrei Glinta, who secured the silver medal with a time of 24.55.
Meanwhile, Brendan Hyland set a new Irish record as he competed in the first of the 200m butterfly semi-finals.
Hyland had swam his best morning time ever in the heats, then went on to take two tenths of a second off his Irish record of 1:57.44, set at the Irish Open in April, in the semi-final to finish 10th overall in 1:57.28.
In the 100m breaststroke semi-final, Mona McSharry moved up to 14th overall.
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Great to see this along with the rowing and hockey. International level standard sport catching the attention of the nation and not the local standard of the GAA. All respect to the native game but this is a different standard and level and proven to be.
@Fiachra Ahern Esq: and may I add. Time to finally spread the investment and funds away from GAA and into international sport.
@Fiachra Ahern Esq: The GAA is of hige value to the country in both cultural terms ans its value in creating a sense of community across the country, and huge numbers enjoy playing and watching it week in week out. It also played a significant role along with other things in the resurgence of a proud Irish identity which ultimately paved the way for our independence. For me thats worth far more than the odd medal here or there in international events, which I love to see by the way. And kids should certainly be given the opportunity to play and enjoy these different sports, Im just fed up of this anti GAA line being peddled by people at every opportunity. East Germany pumped a lot of money into winning international medals back in the day but I doubt they were really enjoying their sport all that much somehow.
@Fiachra Ahern Esq: how does a guy (from America and only started swimming for ireland because he didn’t the US team) winning a medal wnd up with you having a dig at the GAA?
Brilliant result! Hopefully now he can put in a similar performance in the 100m. Also great swimming by Brendan Hyland, like Darragh Greene and Conor Ferguson yesterday he was very close to making a final. Exciting times for Irish swimming