Morning Report; Davison Storms into Semi-Final; Hanley Closes Out Week in Stunning Fashion
Day four of the 2025 European Aquatics Championships continued with another busy morning for Irish swimmers including a standout swim from Grace Davison in the 100m Freestyle, ensuring she will join John Shortt (200m Backstroke Final) in action this evening.
Davison was the first Irish swimmer to race on Friday morning in Samorin, competing in the 100m Freestyle. The Paris Olympian got the day started in blistering fashion, winning her heat, and advancing second overall to the semi-final with a time of 55.35, just .26 shy of her lifetime best.
Speaking in the mixed zone, Davison said, “I’m really happy, it’s really nice to go that time, it’s my fastest time this year by at least half of a second and I feel like I’ve got a lot of room for improvement for tonight. The 200m Freestyle was bittersweet, it was my first personal best for over a year, I was so happy but to narrowly miss out on the final, it hurts a little, but it’s given me more time to rest. I think we can see the freestyle event is so much more competitive than last year, so it’s spurring me on.”
Davison, who is the 2024 European Junior bronze medalist in this event will return to the blocks tonight for the semi-final due to get underway at 5:06pm (Irish time).
A swimmer who has announced his arrival on the Irish national team scene this week is Phelim Hanley. The Cork man was back on the blocks this morning for the 400m Individual Medley. The 17-year-old, who is eligible again in 2026 for European Juniors, had set personal bests in his three previous event this week, and did it again for a fourth consecutive day, shattering his previous best (4:39.77) by eight seconds. The Blackrock swimmer touched the wall first in 4:31.38 to win his heat and round off his week in the pool in impressive fashion.
Following the race, Hanley said, “I’m actually buzzing, I’ve done well all week, and I’ve been really happy, but this is the happiest I’ve felt because I was really nervous before that. The team here is great, I can’t put it into words, they have been encouraging me the whole time, always egging us on, it’s such a positive attitude around the Irish team, it’s really nice.
“My mam, dad and coach are here, and they are giving it their all. My mam said she was going to pass out in the breaststroke event from whistling. The support here is the difference between performing and loving it, you could do it just to get a personal best or you could do it to make the people proud.”
Tadhg O’Brien and Denis O’Brien closed out the morning for Ireland, both competing in the 800m Freestyle. Dolphin swimmer Tadgh O’Brien was first on the blocks, coming through the race in 8:36.12 to set a new lifetime best, breaking his previous best of 8:38.41 set last summer.
Shortly after, Denis O’Brien took to the blocks, the National Centre (Limerick) man, who is competing at his second European Junior Championships, went 8:25.99, just over a second shy of his personal best to place third in his heat.
Following the 1500m Freestyle on Tuesday, Clare Custer was back in action this morning in the 800m Freestyle. 17-year-old Custer, who is competing at her first international competition, clocked 8:59.21 to place third in her heat and within the top twenty overall.
For the first time this week and Irish relay team headed to the blocks for the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay. A youthful quartet consisting of Adeline Cloutier, Niamh Connery, Luca Power, and Matthew Hamilton clocked a combined time of 4:03.30.
Tonight, will see Grace Davison and John Shortt return to the pool for the 100m Freestyle Semi-Final and 200m Backstroke Final, respectively.
Evening Report; Brilliant Bronze for Shortt; Davison Advances to European Final in Lifetime Best Performance
John Shortt has won Ireland’s first medal at the 2025 European Junior Championships in Samorin, Slovakia, securing bronze in the 200m Backstroke in a thrilling final, while Grace Davison won her semi-final to advance to the 100m Freestyle Final as second fastest qualifier.
As the temperate started to cool in Samorin, the racing began to heat up as the muchly anticipated 200m Backstroke Final took centre stage, with Ireland’s John Shortt heading to the middle lane to defend his title. The race did not disappoint with Shortt, Zsombor Racz (Hungary) and Daniele del Signore (Italy) serving up a thriller worthy of a European final, all three swimmers going stroke for stroke throughout four lengths of the pool.
Shortt, whose main focus this Summer is the World Aquatics Championships later this month, led the race turning into the final length and into the last 50 metres, closely followed by the Hungarian and Italian. The Galway man eventually touched the wall in 1:58.45 to win Ireland’s first medal of the 2025 European Aquatics Junior Championships, and his third European Junior medal.
Speaking directly after the final, Shortt said, “I won’t lie, I’m disappointed, you know I wanted to win that, and I didn’t, but that happens, it’s very hard. The first 100m was good, I really smashed off the lane rope in the third 50, kind of lost my balance from there, this is sport, it’s not a constant high.”
The National Centre (Limerick) man, who was well represented in the stands, added, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get this gold medal for them, they deserve it as much as I do, but I promise I’ll be back and at worlds I’m going to smash it, I’ll be back. Medals are so nice to get on days like this but it’s all about wearing that green jacket, I’m so proud to be doing that.”
Earlier in the session Grace Davison secured her second European final this week, this time in the 100m Freestyle, going sub-55 seconds for the first time in 54.95, a new lifetime best for the Ards swimmer. The Paris Olympian heads into tomorrow night’s final as second fastest qualifier.
Following the race, Davison said, “I’m super excited, I didn’t think I would go under 55 (seconds), now it’s just about rest and recovery, I have the 200 IM in the morning and hopefully I have a double tomorrow night. I’m really looking forward to the 200 IM, even before coming into this week the 200 IM was the main one for me, so to be going into the 100 Free Final in second is super exciting.
“I’m so happy, as I said earlier the 100m Freestyle has been a bit of a mental block for me this year as I haven’t trained for it nearly as much as last year, last year there was so much pressure and focus on it, so this year it was trying to get back to that. I was quite sick in February and March, the Trials (Irish Open) didn’t go well but it’s been an uphill battle from then. It’s so worth it to even to go that time in the semi-final, I’m so happy.”
The 2024 European Junior bronze medallist spoke on defending that medal saying, “I felt pressure, just from myself knowing last year I was bronze, I felt like I had to improve on that. I know already I have the time so that blows the cobwebs away so tomorrow night it’s not about the race, and that’s just a bit of fun.”
There is another bumper morning ahead for Ireland with Irish swimmers competing in eight events across the morning, including Shortt (100m Backstroke) and Davison (200 IM) suiting up once again.
European Aquatics Junior Championships Day 4 Results
- Men 200m Backstroke Final John Shortt, 1:59.41 (1), SF 1:58.12 (1), F 1:58.45 (3)
- Women 100m Freestyle Grace Davison, 55.35 (2), SF 54.95 (3)
- Men 400m IM Phelim Hanley, 4:31.38
- Mixed 4×100m Medley Relay Ireland, 4:03.30
- Women 800m Freestyle Clare Custer, 8:59.21
- Men 800m Freestyle Denis O’Brien 8:25.99; Tadhg O’Brien 8:36.12