IRISH SWIMMERS HAD strong showings on the opening day of competition at the European Aquatics U23 Championships in Slovakia, and at the Sette Colli International in Rome.
Ellie McCartney won a gold medal and became Ireland’s newest European U23 Champion, joining 2023 Champions Mona McSharry, Ellen Walshe and Daniel Wiffen in the list of Irish winners.
The triumph also means it is back-to-back victories for Irish swimmers in the 200m Individual Medley at the event, with Walshe having won at the inaugural edition in Dublin in 2023.
The 20-year-old was in third place before swimming her favoured Breaststroke leg in 37.41, establishing an almost two-second lead going into the Freestyle leg.
McCartney ultimately prevailed by 1.22 seconds in 2:12.50, ahead of silver medallist Bertille Cousson (2:13.72) of France.
“I’m definitely excited, McCartney said. “I wasn’t expecting it, coming in (to the final) I knew I was fastest seed but I knew the other girls had faster times in them, their PBs were quite a bit faster than mine, so you just get in, race who’s there on the day and get your hand to the wall first and to get my hand on the wall first is really exciting.
“Not only that, but for Irish swimming, every time this has been raced at U23s, it’s been Irish girls who won it, so exciting for the future ahead to see who we can pass the baton on to win the 200m IM next.”
The win saw her eclipse her personal best time of 2:14.09 in the event.
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McCartney is now Ireland’s second-fastest 200m Individual Medley female ever behind Walshe, and the feat will also see her considered to swim it at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, having come under the qualification time of 2:12.83.
The Enniskillen native has already qualified for the Championships in the 200m Breaststroke.
McCartney returns to action on Friday morning in the heats of the 100m Breaststroke.
Elsewhere, Mona McSharry won a silver medal following a season’s best 1:06.86 in the 100m Breaststroke Final.
The Sligo native managed to take one hundredth of a second off her time of 1:06.87 from the Irish Open Final in April.
Meanwhile, Tom Fannon finished sixth overall in the men’s 50m Freestyle final with a time of 22.18.
Evan Bailey was fifth in the 200m Freestyle Final, registering a time of 1:47.45.
Bailey competes again on Friday in the heats of the 50m Freestyle.
Earlier, McCartney, Bailey, McSharry and Fannon all advanced to the finals.
McCartney was the fastest qualifier into the 200m Individual Medley Final at the U23 Championships, having won her heat in 2:15.02 ahead of Cousson (2:15.25) and Italy’s Giada Alzetta (2:15.74).
Bailey impressed in the 200m Freestyle as he touched second in his heat in 1:47.48, just behind reigning Olympic Champion in the event, David Popovici of Romania (1:46.84). The Wexford man, who trains at National Centre Limerick, progressed fourth overall to the final.
In Rome, Olympic bronze medallist McSharry won her 100m Breaststroke heat in 1:07.05 and qualified second overall for the final just behind Great Britain’s Angharad Evans (1:06.83).
Olympic semi-finalist Fannon was second in his heat of the 50m Freestyle, clocking 22.21 behind Paris silver medallist Ben Proud, the fastest seed into the final, in 21.90. Fannon progresses fourth overall with the final taking to the blocks at 6.44pm.
Olympic finalist Walshe got the morning underway in Rome in the heats of the 200m Freestyle, coming home in 2:01.52. The Templeogue swimmer will be back in action on Friday in the 400m Individual Medley.
Back in Slovakia, Eoin Corby agonisingly missed out on the 50m Breaststroke Final after a swim-off for the final place. Corby, of National Centre Limerick, and Ukraine’s Maksym Ovchinnikov had both touched in 28 seconds and eighth overall in the heats, requiring a swim-off for the final place.
With Corby having swum with the Ireland 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay in between races, it was the Ukrainian who had the fresher legs and got the touch in the swim-off 27.99 to 28.14.
Also, in action on Thursday morning, Brandon Biss got the championships underway for Ireland in the 200m Backstroke, clocking 2:03.36.
Cormac Rynn touched in 1:47.77 in the 200m Freestyle, his third fastest time ever in the event.
Maria Godden (29.39) and Jack Cassin (53.05) had top 12 finishes in the 50m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly, respectively, while Ireland’s Mixed Medley Relay of Lottie Cullen, Cassin, Corby and Godden were 11th overall in 3:55.47.
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Ireland's Ellie McCartney becomes European U23 champion
Updated at 19.51
IRISH SWIMMERS HAD strong showings on the opening day of competition at the European Aquatics U23 Championships in Slovakia, and at the Sette Colli International in Rome.
Ellie McCartney won a gold medal and became Ireland’s newest European U23 Champion, joining 2023 Champions Mona McSharry, Ellen Walshe and Daniel Wiffen in the list of Irish winners.
The triumph also means it is back-to-back victories for Irish swimmers in the 200m Individual Medley at the event, with Walshe having won at the inaugural edition in Dublin in 2023.
The 20-year-old was in third place before swimming her favoured Breaststroke leg in 37.41, establishing an almost two-second lead going into the Freestyle leg.
McCartney ultimately prevailed by 1.22 seconds in 2:12.50, ahead of silver medallist Bertille Cousson (2:13.72) of France.
“I’m definitely excited, McCartney said. “I wasn’t expecting it, coming in (to the final) I knew I was fastest seed but I knew the other girls had faster times in them, their PBs were quite a bit faster than mine, so you just get in, race who’s there on the day and get your hand to the wall first and to get my hand on the wall first is really exciting.
“Not only that, but for Irish swimming, every time this has been raced at U23s, it’s been Irish girls who won it, so exciting for the future ahead to see who we can pass the baton on to win the 200m IM next.”
The win saw her eclipse her personal best time of 2:14.09 in the event.
McCartney is now Ireland’s second-fastest 200m Individual Medley female ever behind Walshe, and the feat will also see her considered to swim it at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, having come under the qualification time of 2:12.83.
The Enniskillen native has already qualified for the Championships in the 200m Breaststroke.
McCartney returns to action on Friday morning in the heats of the 100m Breaststroke.
Elsewhere, Mona McSharry won a silver medal following a season’s best 1:06.86 in the 100m Breaststroke Final.
The Sligo native managed to take one hundredth of a second off her time of 1:06.87 from the Irish Open Final in April.
Meanwhile, Tom Fannon finished sixth overall in the men’s 50m Freestyle final with a time of 22.18.
Evan Bailey was fifth in the 200m Freestyle Final, registering a time of 1:47.45.
Bailey competes again on Friday in the heats of the 50m Freestyle.
Earlier, McCartney, Bailey, McSharry and Fannon all advanced to the finals.
McCartney was the fastest qualifier into the 200m Individual Medley Final at the U23 Championships, having won her heat in 2:15.02 ahead of Cousson (2:15.25) and Italy’s Giada Alzetta (2:15.74).
Bailey impressed in the 200m Freestyle as he touched second in his heat in 1:47.48, just behind reigning Olympic Champion in the event, David Popovici of Romania (1:46.84). The Wexford man, who trains at National Centre Limerick, progressed fourth overall to the final.
In Rome, Olympic bronze medallist McSharry won her 100m Breaststroke heat in 1:07.05 and qualified second overall for the final just behind Great Britain’s Angharad Evans (1:06.83).
Olympic semi-finalist Fannon was second in his heat of the 50m Freestyle, clocking 22.21 behind Paris silver medallist Ben Proud, the fastest seed into the final, in 21.90. Fannon progresses fourth overall with the final taking to the blocks at 6.44pm.
Olympic finalist Walshe got the morning underway in Rome in the heats of the 200m Freestyle, coming home in 2:01.52. The Templeogue swimmer will be back in action on Friday in the 400m Individual Medley.
Back in Slovakia, Eoin Corby agonisingly missed out on the 50m Breaststroke Final after a swim-off for the final place. Corby, of National Centre Limerick, and Ukraine’s Maksym Ovchinnikov had both touched in 28 seconds and eighth overall in the heats, requiring a swim-off for the final place.
With Corby having swum with the Ireland 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay in between races, it was the Ukrainian who had the fresher legs and got the touch in the swim-off 27.99 to 28.14.
Also, in action on Thursday morning, Brandon Biss got the championships underway for Ireland in the 200m Backstroke, clocking 2:03.36.
Cormac Rynn touched in 1:47.77 in the 200m Freestyle, his third fastest time ever in the event.
Maria Godden (29.39) and Jack Cassin (53.05) had top 12 finishes in the 50m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly, respectively, while Ireland’s Mixed Medley Relay of Lottie Cullen, Cassin, Corby and Godden were 11th overall in 3:55.47.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
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Daniel wiffen ellen walshe Ellie McCartney in the pool Mona McSharry Swimming Take a Bow