In an unprecedented victory at the senior European Championships in Belgrade, Claire Cryan bagged a bronze medal, marking the first time Ireland has received a diving accolade at this level. Competing in the 3m springboard on Friday, Cryan showcased five dives and managed to amass 240.55 points. She trailed Norway’s silver medallist, Helle Tuxen, by a mere 2.65 points, while Desharne Bent-Ashmeil from Great Britain outstripped the competition, taking the gold with an impressive 61.95 point lead over second place.
Born in Sheffield, Cryan effectively doubled Ireland’s medal count at the championships; this follows Danielle Hill’s triumph on Thursday evening where she secured a gold medal in the 50 backstroke. Hill made a subsequent appearance in the pool on Friday, partaking in the semi-finals of the 100m backstroke – an event in which she will participate at the forthcoming Olympics. Clocking in at a stylish 1.00.54, Hill secured her spot in Friday’s final as the second-quickest qualifier.
Additionally, Nathan Wiffen emerged as another successful qualifier for an upcoming final, having performed exceedingly well in the 1500m freestyle. With a time of 15.10.10, Wiffen secured the fourth-fastest spot overall, promising a competitive performance in Saturday’s final.