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17-year-old John Shortt highlighted day three finals of the Irish Open Championships and Olympic Trials with a new Irish Record in the 200m Backstroke.
The National Centre Limerick swimmer took over half a second off his own record of 1:58.47 set in the semi-final at the World Championships in Doha earlier this year. Shortt’s time of 1:57.90 is now just four tenths of a second off the Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) of 1:57.50. The Galway man will go again on Saturday in the Final.
National Centre Limerick’s Shortt looked impressive in the heats of the 200m Backstroke. The 17-year-old was just half a second outside his Irish Record of 1:58.47 touching in 1:59.03. Shortt enters Friday’s Semi-Final as the fastest qualifier and only swimmer under the two-minute mark. The Galway man will be aiming for an Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) of 1:57.50.
Ellen Walshe, already qualified for Paris in the 200m Individual Medley, came home in 58.39 in the 100m Butterfly to register her third fastest ever swim in the event. Walshe, the Irish Record holder in the event in 57.96, will aim for the OQT of 57.92 in this afternoon’s A Final.
In the Men’s 400m Freestyle, National Centre Limerick swimmer Cormac Rynn registered his first sub four-minute swim, topping the field, which included Daniel Wiffen, in 3:57.79. Wiffen was the only other swimmer under four minutes in 3:59.81.
In the Women’s 200m Backstroke Maria Godden secured top seed for the A Final in 2:16.82 ahead of Annabelle Wilkinson (2:18.45) and 100m Backstroke National Champion Lottie Cullen (2:20.98).
Ards’ Amelia Kane, swimming in heat two, was fastest out of the Women’s 400m Freestyle in 4:23.97 ahead of 2022 and 2023 National Champion in the event Grace Hodgins, who won heat three in 4:25.01. The pair will go head-to-head this afternoon for the 2024 National Title.
Just four hundredths of a second separated the top two in the Men’s 200m IM with Bangor’s Lachey Reed (2:09.35) and Matthew Hand (2:09.39) the only two swimmers under 2:10.
Competition continues this evening featuring Paris qualified Danielle Hill (100m Freestyle), Tom Fannon (50m Freestyle) and Ellen Walshe (100m Butterfly). Max McCusker (100m Butterfly), Darragh Greene (100m Breaststroke) and Niamh Coyne (100m Breaststroke) are top seeds in their respective Super Finals with a final opportunity for Olympic qualification coming in those events.
Cormac Rynn had an outstanding swim in the 400m Freestyle Super Final to claim gold and his first national title in a new Irish Junior Record of 3:54.06. Rynn’s first venture below the four-minute mark only came in the Friday morning heats where he touched in 3:57.79. A first Irish Record for the Roscommon man, his time was also under the consideration time for the European Championships. In a full National Centre Limerick podium Finn McGeever was second in 4:00.39 while Denis O’Brien claimed bronze in 4:06.48.
Calum Bain held off teammate and Thursday night’s Olympic Games qualifier Tom Fannon in the Final of the 50m Freestyle to take the national title. Bain swam a lifetime best of 22.06 seconds, just one tenth of a second off the Olympic Qualification Time of 21.96. In second, Fannon clocked 22.07 while Oisin Tebite completed a National Centre Dublin clean sweep in 22.79 for bronze. All three swimmers were under the consideration time for the European Championships.
In the Women’s 100m Freestyle Final Grace Davison and Victoria Catterson battled for the top spot on the podium. It was 16-year-old Davison of Ards, who set two Irish Junior Records in the event earlier in the week, who got to the wall first in 55.56, National Centre Dublin’s Catterson just behind in 55.72. Erin Riordan, also of NCD, was third in 56.71.
In the Men’s 100m Butterfly Final Max McCusker swam his second fastest time ever touching in 51.96, just outside the Irish Record of 51.90 from Thursday’s heats. McCusker claimed gold in a European Championships consideration time ahead of National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin (54.17) and Brogan McAviney (54.96).
Amelia Kane cruised to victory in the Women’s 400m Freestyle Final. The Ards swimmer clocked 4:21.93 ahead of Sarasota Shark’s Grace Hodgins (4:28.91) and Templeogue’s Holly McInerney (4:30.81)
Darragh Greene won the 100m Breaststroke Final and claimed the national title for the first time since 2019. The National Centre Dublin swimmer held off ESB’s Jack Kelly (1:00.95) and his NCD teammate Eoin Corby (1:01.09) for gold in 1:00.54; all three have achieved the European Aquatics Championships consideration time.
In the Women’s 100m Breaststroke Final National Centre Dublin’s Niamh Coyne led throughout for victory and the national title in 1:09.52. National Centre Limerick’s Eimear Doyle won silver in 1:10.28 with bronze going to Limerick’s Olwyn Cooke (1:10.69).
Ellen Walshe dominated the 100m Butterfly Semi-Final touching the wall in 58.43 for her fourth fastest time ever. Walshe returns on Saturday for the Final with her eye on the Olympic Qualification Time of 57.92.
Maria Godden topped the rankings in the Women’s 200m Backstroke Semi-Final. The National Centre Limerick swimmer is the top seed for tomorrow’s Final in 2:14.94 ahead of 100m Backstroke Champion Lottie Cullen (2:16.45) of National Centre Ulster.
In the final event of the evening, the Men’s 200m Individual Medley, Bangor’s Lachey Reed touched in 2:08.14 to advance as the fastest qualifier to Saturday’sFinal.
Competition continues Saturday morning with heats of the Men’s 1500m Freestyle, 200m Breaststroke, 100m Freestyle and 200m Butterfly and the Women’s 800m Freestyle, 200m Breaststroke, 200m Freestyle and 50m Freestyle.
Olympic Qualification Time Achieved:
Women 4x100m Medley Relay, Men 4x100m Medley Relay*
* Two Olympic Qualification Times (OQT) are required from the team in order to confirm the Olympic place when invited
2024 European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, June 17th – 23rd
Qualification Time Achieved:
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