News

Morning Report – Wiffen Returns to Racing with Top Seed Swim in the 400m Freestyle; Shortt Breaks Irish Backstroke Record to Progress to Semi-Final

Daniel Wiffen made his long-awaited return to racing with an outstanding swim in the 400m Freestyle heats to progress as the top seed for this evenings Final at the European Aquatics Championships (25m). John Shortt broke the 200m Backstroke Irish Record to progress to the semi-final of the event, while Ellie McCartney will swim the 100m Breaststroke semi-final on the opening day of racing in Lublin, Poland

Paris Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen raced his first race since surgery in September, winning his heat in an impressive 3:37.04, and will have his first opportunity at defending one of the three titles he won at the 2023 European Championships (25m). The Magheralin man will take the centre lane for a very tight final, with all eight swimmers separated by just over a second.

Wiffen’s time was the third fastest in the World this year and is just over a second outside his personal best and Irish Record 3:35.47. The 400m Freestyle Final will take place at 18.09 (Ireland).

John Shortt continued his record-breaking form, winning his 200m Backstroke heat in 1:50.65. Shortt had set the current Irish Senior and Junior Record of 1:51.37 just over a week ago. He progresses to the semi-final in fourth overall.

Ellie McCartney swam a personal best of 1:05.83 in the 100m Breaststroke to place fourth in her heat. The National Centre Limerick swimmer advances ninth overall to the semi-final.

In the Men’s 100m Breaststroke Heats, Eoin Corby was the best of the Irish in a lifetime best of 58.34. Adam Bradley, making his Irish senior team debut, also swam a personal best touching in 59.54.

Ellen Walshe opened her Championships in the 50m Butterfly. The Templeogue swimmer warmed up for her main events clocking 25.86. In the same event, National Centre Ulster’s Rosalie Phelan made her Ireland debut swimming a best time of 26.88.

In the Men’s 50m Butterfly, Jack Cassin (23.34), Evan Bailey (23.73) and Matthew Hamilton (23.91) all tuned up for their main events later in the week, with Cassin and Hamilton swimming personal bests.

National Centre Limerick’s Cormac Rynn and Denis O’Brien were also in action in the 400m Freestyle. Rynn clocked a best time of 3:44.50 with O’Brien touching in 3:52.91.

Evening Report – Wiffen Wins Brilliant Bronze in Poland

Shortt Claims Top Seed for Backstroke Final in Another Irish Record and McCartney Through to Breaststroke Final

Daniel Wiffen is back on an international podium for the first time since the Paris Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in the 400m Freestyle Final. John Shortt set another Irish Record to claim the centre lane for Wednesday’s 200m Backstroke Final, while Ellie McCartney advanced to the 100m Breaststroke Final on the opening night of racing at the European Aquatics Championships (25m) in Lublin, Poland.

Daniel Wiffen put in an outstanding swim in the 400m Freestyle Final, sitting with the pack for the first 100m, he then made his move and led the race up to 300m, he was overtaken by Great Britain’s Jack McMillan at that point who won gold, while Olympic Champion in the 400m Freestyle Lucas Martens of Germany went ahead of Wiffen in the last 50 metres for silver.

Wiffen’s time of 3:37.02 was two hundredths of a second faster than his heat swim of 3:37.04. McMillan won gold in 3:36.33 with Martens claiming the silver in 3:36.51.

A delighted Wiffen said “I’m going to say I’m really happy, taking that long out of the water and having that surgery process and then having to come back and be at my best again and all the stuff towards moving to California. It’s amazing to be back on the podium, I’m just a little bit gutted because I kind of died a bit, because I wanted it, I thought we may as well go for the World Record because we were so close. It was a great race, two Northern Irishmen on the podium.”

The 24-year-old will be back in action on Wednesday in the heats of the 1500m Freestyle.

John Shortt had the swim of his life in the 200m Backstroke and will be the top seed for Wednesday’s Final. The 18-year-old, still a junior, took over a second off the Irish Senior and Junior Record of 1:50.65 that he had set this morning, clocking 1:48.84, he was the only swimmer across the two semi-finals to dip below 1 minute 49 seconds.

The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer spoke after the race, “I’m shattered after that, it was a huge swim, just missing out on 1:49 and going straight to 1:48, you can’t be angry at that, I’m really excited for tomorrow evening to see how we go there.

“I just wanted to be 1:49.9, to be 1:48.8 I can’t help but be surprised with that, but also just really happy, I’m coming back into a nice bit of form now, we’re building nicely into the rest of the week and then long course season is soon enough.”

Ellie McCartney swam a huge personal best, dipping under 65 seconds for the first time in 1:04.75, to make the Final of the 100m Breaststroke. The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer, swimming in the first semi-final, was fifth and advances eighth overall to the Final.

Speaking after the race she said “I’m really happy with the time and I’m really happy as I’ve been struggling with the event this year, so to get it right, in the semi-finals, in order to make the Final, I’m really happy with it. I just love getting in and racing girls that are faster than me so I can chase them, so I think that really pushes me on and it helps to get PBs at the right time.”

McCartney will be back in the pool on Wednesday morning for the 100m Individual Medley where she will be joined by Ellen Walshe.

Also, in action on Wednesday, Evan Bailey, Jack Cassin, Cormac Rynn and Denis O’Brien return for the heats of the 200m Freestyle, while Ireland will compete in the 4x50m Medley Relay.

Day 1 Results (Heats/Finals) – Tuesday 2^nd December

Day 2 Heats Schedule – Wednesday 3rd December