News

Swim Ireland’s Irish Open Swimming Championships ended in Dublin today, with National Centre Ulster’s Victoria Catterson breaking the 200m Freestyle Irish Senior Record and National Centre Dublin’s Tom Fannon adding his name to the consideration list for the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in July.

Catterson dipped under the two-minute mark for the second time in her career to set a new Irish Senior Record in the 200m Freestyle in 1:59.74, 0.12 under her previous standard of 1:59.86 from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The time is also enough to see Catterson considered for the European U23 Championships in Dublin in August.

Fannon, who set a new Irish Record in the 50m Freestyle as a split in the 100m Freestyle Heats on Sunday, needed to go under 22.12 to secure the ‘A’ time for the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka; the National Centre Dublin swimmer delivered twice today, clocking 22.11 in the heats, followed by 22.02 in the Final to win gold and the National Title.

In the 200m Breaststroke Final, Mona McSharry swam an impressive 2:25.70, under the World Aquatics Championships ‘A’ time of 2:25.91 and European U23 Championships consideration time of 2:27.51. McSharry’s gold medal swim was also a Championship Record, breaking a 2018 record of 2:26.59.

Danielle Hill will be pleased with her week as she finished with a National Title and Championship Record in the 50m Backstroke, adding to 50m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly Titles. The Larne swimmer also posted a World Aquatics Championships ‘A’ time in the 100m Backstroke on Tuesday. Today’s swim saw Hill finish in 28.11 ahead of Templeogue’s Ellen Walshe in 28.97.

In the 200m Individual Medley (IM) Final, National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin delivered a third Irish Junior Record. The 18-year-old, had already set a 400m IM Senior and Junior Record and 100m Butterfly Junior Record. Clocking 2:03.16 today, Cassin broke Ethan Hansen’s 2021 record of 2:03.48.

Larne’s Nathan Wiffen cruised to a second National Title and a ten second personal best in the 1500m Final. Wiffen clocked 15:34.17 as the only swimmer under the 16-minute mark. Aer Lingus’ Ben Moran won silver in 16:25.59 with Trojan’s Ronan Fahey taking bronze in 16:38.52.

Additional consideration times met today included Lisburn’s Dylan Registe (50m Freestyle), Oisin Tebite (50m Freestyle), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke) and Molly Mayne (200m Breaststroke) for the European U23 Championships and European Junior Championships with McCartney and Registe also under consideration for the Commonwealth Youth Games, while Niamh Connery posted a second consideration time for the European Youth Olympic Festival.

Swim Ireland National Performance Director Jon Rudd commented “This Championships was a huge step forwards for the Irish swimming community as a whole, particularly when we compare it to the post-COVID equivalent in 2022. Seven athletes put their names into contention for individual events at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan this summer and that is before we consider what relays we opt to compete in. Fukuoka is the first major step for us towards the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 – the first of three qualification opportunities for our athletes. Alongside this, we have over 20 additional athletes make themselves known for our junior, youth and open water teams this summer. That’s a highly significant number of selections for us to consider – with 7 Irish Senior Records and 5 Irish Junior Records thrown into the mix for good measure. I’m very proud of Irish swimming today, with selection considerations coming from all four of our Provinces. With 100 days to go until Fukuoka commences, I’ll be honoured as always to lead our senior National Team into what could be a very rewarding World Championships for Ireland”.

Day 5 Results

Women 50m Backstroke Final: 1^st Danielle Hill Larne 28.11 Ellen Walshe Templeogue 28.97 3^rd Lottie Cullen Swim Belfast 29.14

Women 200m Breaststroke Final: 1^st Mona McSharry Marlins 2:25.70 2^nd Niamh Coyne National Centre Dublin 2:29.49 3^rd Olwyn Cooke Limerick 2:31.14

Men 50m Freestyle Final: 1^st Tom Fannon National Centre Dublin 22.02 2^nd Calum Bain National Centre Dublin 22.41 3^rd Matthew Walsh Hussey NAC 23.07

Women 200m Freestyle Final: 1^st Victoria Catterson National Centre Ulster 1:59.74 ISR 2^nd Grace Davison Ards 2:02.72 2rd Naomi Trait UCD 2:05.52

Men 1500m Freestyle Final: 1^st Nathan Wiffen Larne 15:34.17 2^nd Ben Moran Aer Lingus 16:25.59 3^rd Ronan Fahey Trojan 16:38.52

Men 200m IM Finals: 1^st Jack Cassin National Centre Limerick 2:03.16 2^nd Cadan McCarthy National Centre Limerick 2:07.78 3^rd Liam Custer Sundays Well 2:08.82

Summer Qualifications

2023 World Aquatics Championships (50m) in Fukuoka, Japan, July 23^rd – 30^th

(Senior summer benchmark meet)

World Aquatics ‘A’ Time: Mona McSharry (100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke), Daniel Wiffen, Ellen Walshe (100m Butterfly, 200m IM), Danielle Hill (100m Backstroke), Conor Ferguson (100m Backstroke), Tom Fannon (50m Freestyle)

World Aquatics Consideration Time: John Shortt (200m Backstroke)

Selected divers: Clare Cryan, Ciara McGing, Jake Passmore

2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, United Kingdom, July 31^st – August 6^th

Minimum Qualification Standard met: Ellen Keane, Nicole Turner, Róisín NíRíain, Barry McClements

2023 LEN European U23 Swimming Championships in Dublin, Ireland, August 11^th – 13^th

Grace Davison (50m Freestyle, 200m IM, 200m Freestyle) Eoin Corby (100m Breaststroke) Liam O’Connor (100m Breaststroke) Daniel Wiffen (400m Freestyle) Ellen Walshe (100m Butterfly) Grace Hodgins (400m Freestyle), Jack Cassin (200m Butterfly, 400m IM), John Shortt (200m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke), Mona McSharry (100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke), Ellie McCartney (100m Breaststroke, 200m IM, 200m Breaststroke), Evan Bailey (100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 200m Freestyle), Alana Burns-Atkin (100m Butterfly), Dylan Registe (50m Freestyle), Oisin Tebite (50m Freestyle) Molly Mayne (200m Breaststroke), Victoria Catterson (200m Freestyle), Maria Godden (200m Backstroke)

2023 LEN European Junior Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, July 4^th – 9^th

(The junior summer benchmark meet for athletes of this age banding)

Grace Davison (50m Freestyle, 200m IM, 200m Freestyle), Liam O’Connor (100m Breaststroke), John Shortt (200m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke), Ellie McCartney (100m Breaststroke, 200m IM, 200m Breaststroke), Evan Bailey (100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 200m Freestyle), Alana Burns-Atkin (100m Butterfly), Dylan Registe (50m Freestyle), Oisin Tebite (50m Freestyle), Molly Mayne (200m Breaststroke)

2023 EOC European Youth Olympic Festival in Maribor, Slovenia, July 23^rd – 29^th

(The junior summer benchmark meet for athletes of this age banding)

Denis O’Brien (400m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle), Sean Donnellan (200m Butterfly), John Shortt (200m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, 50m Freestyle), Ava Jones (100m Breaststroke), Niamh Connery (100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke), Brydan Byrne (200m Backstroke), Gene Smyth (100m Freestyle)

2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, August 1^st – 11^th

Grace Davison (50m Freestyle, 200m IM, 200m Freestyle), Ellie McCartney (100m Breaststroke, 200m IM, 200m Breaststroke), Alana Burns-Atkin (100m Butterfly), Dylan Registe (50m Freestyle)