News

Morning Session

World Aquatics Championships qualifiers Ellen Walshe, Daniel Wiffen and John Shortt featured during the Monday morning session as the Irish Open Championships reached the half-way stage at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre.

Walshe, swimming the 100m Butterfly, secured a third qualification time for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in July clocking 58.14 to take the top seed for Monday’s Semi-Finals. Walshe had already secured qualification in the 200m Individual Medley and 200m Butterfly on Saturday. National Centre Limerick’s Lucy O’Brien hit the consideration time for the European Aquatics Junior Championships in the event and advances fourth overall in 1:02.43.

Following his 800m Freestyle win on Sunday, Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen leads the qualifiers for the Open 400m Freestyle Final. Wiffen (3:56.26) and National Centre Limerick’s Cormac Rynn (3:58.86) were the only swimmers under four minutes and will take the centre lanes for Monday evening’s Final. In fourth place, Tadgh O’Brien (National Centre Limerick) was under the European Aquatics Junior Championships time of 4:07.62 in 4:06.58.

Paris Olympian Victoria Catterson was swiftest in the Female 400m Freestyle heats clocking 4:20.05 ahead of Germany’s Sophie Lenze (4:23.25) and 1500m Freestyle National Champion Clare Custer (4:24.15) of Sundays Well.

John Shortt continued his good form and progresses to Monday evening’s 200m Backstroke semi-final as top seed and the only swimmer under the two-minute mark in 1:58.67. Already qualified for the World Aquatics Championships in the 100m Backstroke, the 18-year-old will look to add the 200m to his qualification with a time of 1:58.07. Shortt is the Irish Record holder in the event in 1:57.68.

Shortt’s National Centre Limerick team-mate Maria Godden was the fastest Irish swimmer in the women’s version of the event. Godden clocked 2:17.16 just behind Gabriela Georgieva in 2:16.36. In fourth overall Aer Lingus’ Julia Dziedzic achieved a consideration time for the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2:20.13.

In the 200m Individual Medley, National Centre Ulster’s Adam Colgan leads the Irish qualifiers for semi-finals in 2:08.89. Germany’s Tobia Van Aggelen will be the top seed in 2:08.74.

Monday evening will feature finals in the Open 50m Freestyle, Open and Female 100m Breaststroke, Open 100m Butterfly, Open and Female 400m Freestyle and Semi-Finals in the Open and Female 200m Backstroke, Female 100m Butterfly and Open 200m IM.

Evening Session

18-year-old Shortt continued his incredible form this week with an outstanding swim in the 200m Backstroke Semi-Final. The National Centre Limerick swimmer smashed his Irish Senior and Junior Record, the Championship Record and was under the qualification time for the World Aquatics Championships. The Leaving Certificate student had held the previous records at 1:57.68 and 1:57.90 from 2024. His time of 1:56.61, which ranks him sixth in the world this year, is well under the 1:58.07 required for World Championships and 2:03.77 required for European Aquatics Junior Championships, an event in which he won gold in 2024. The Galway native has now qualified the 100m and 200m Backstroke for both events.

Speaking after the race Shortt said, “It hurt quite a lot, but I knew I had that in me, especially after the 100 that was such a confidence boost during the weekend so I knew I could do something special there. I felt good this morning and was pretty chilled so I knew I had to really go for it tonight and took it out that first 100 as hard as I could and just held on for dear life, but yeah I’m so, so happy with that and just proud to be racing here in front of this crowd as well, it’s brilliant.”

In one of the tightest races of the night, Ireland’s two fastest ever 100m Breaststrokers went head-to-head for the National Title. Mona McSharry and Ellie McCartney had the NAC crowd on their feet as they pulled away from the rest of the field, McSharry just getting the better of McCartney in 1:06.87. With the time, the Olympic bronze medallist validated her place at the World Championships in Singapore. For McCartney, it was a first swim under 67 seconds in 1:06.97 and it makes the National Centre Limerick swimmer only the second Irishwoman to do so.

McSharry spoke after the race. saying, “It’s pretty good, the target was 1:07.20, so anything under that I would have been happy with, that’s what I need to get to Worlds and that was the plan for this week, get back into racing long course and be able to qualify.”

Daniel Wiffen continued his fine form with a National Title, Championship Record and World Championships qualification time of 3:46.87 in the 400m Freestyle Final. Wiffen finished ahead of National Centre Limerick’s Cormac Rynn who clocked a personal best 3:53.70 to go under the consideration time for the European Aquatics U23 Championships.

In the Female 400m Freestyle Final, Sundays Wells’ Clare Custer won her second national title, adding to the 1500m Freestyle Title she won on Sunday. Custer touched in 4:22.87 behind Germany’s Sophie Lenze who won commemorative gold in 4:19.47. Kingdom’s Lily Doyle was second in 4:27.25 with Larne’s Skye Austin-Burrows completing the podium in 4:27.88. In fifth place Aer Lingus’ Julia Dziedzic secured her second European Youth Olympic Festival consideration time of the day in 4:31.93, having qualified in the 200m Backstroke earlier in the day.

Tom Fannon claimed the national title in the 50m Freestyle, the National Centre Dublin swimmer had clocked Championship records of 21.77 and 21.78 in the heats and semi-final and was under 22 seconds once again taking the gold medal in 21.91. Shane Ryan claimed silver in 22.53 while bronze went to Lisburn City’s Matthew Hamilton in 22.95.

Jack Cassin claimed his first 100m Butterfly National Title in 53.14 seconds. The 21-year-old was under the consideration time for the European U23 Championships for the gold medal ahead of Matthew Hamilton (54.87) and Cassin’s team-mate at National Centre Limerick Brogan McAviney (55.04). Luca-Nik Armbuster of Germany took commemorative gold in 52.38.

In the Men’s 100m Breaststroke Final National Centre Limerick’s Eoin Corby topped the podium in 1:01.45, followed by Bangor’s Adam Bradley (1:02.27) and National Centre Ulster’s Lachey Reed (1:02.73).

Ards’ Grace Davison won a tight affair in the Female 100m Freestyle Final. The Paris Olympian touched the wall in 56.05 to claim her second consecutive National Title in the event. National Centre Dublin’s Victoria Catterson took silver in 56.19 and National Centre Limerick’s Danielle Farrell bronze in 56.62.

Lottie Cullen leads the Irish qualifiers for the Female 200m Backstroke Final after a solid swim of 2:15.04 in the semi-final ahead of Maria Godden (2:16.21) and Cora Rooney (2:19.53). Cullen, already under consideration for the European Aquatics U23 Championships and World University Games from the 100m Backstroke, adds the 200m Backstroke to the U23 Championships. Bulgaria’s Gabriela Georgieva will be the top seed for Tuesday’s Final in 2:13.46.

Olympic Finalist Ellen Walshe will be the top seed for Tuesday’s 100m Butterfly Final after posting a time of 58.24 in the semi-finals, the only swimmer under the one-minute mark. The 23-year-old has qualified three events for the World Aquatics Championships so far including the 100m and 200m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley.

National Centre Ulster’s Adam Colgan is the fastest Irish qualifier into Tuesday’s 200m Individual Medley Final. Colgan clocked 2:08.92 ahead of Banbridge’s Tom Wilkinson (2:11.25) and UCD’s Liam Morris (2:12.16). Germany’s Tobias Van Aggelen will be the top seed in 2:07.09.