The final competitions at the Olympic Trials in the National Aquatic Centre further showcased the impressive skill and depth of Irish swimming, with Danielle Hill and Ellen Walshe standing out. Two more swimmers achieved qualifiers for the imminent Paris Olympics, making four in total. Hill and Tom Fannon were the recent qualifiers, joining Daniel Wiffen, Walshe and Mona McSharry. A decision is still pending for the selection of the women’s and the men’s 4x100m medley relay teams.
The event also saw the setting of 22 consideration times for the upcoming European Championships in Serbia, seven senior Irish records and eight junior Irish records. Hill displayed exemplary performance in the 50 metre backstroke, nearing her own record. Previously qualifying for the Paris Games in the 50 metre freestyle and 100 metre backstroke, Hill was just a fraction of a second late, completing in 27.65 seconds, a slim difference from her 27.64 seconds in the Ulster Championships some weeks prior.
Walshe, aged 22, skilfully secured her Olympic qualification time of 4:38.05 in the morning heats of the 400 metre individual medley and later clinched victory in the evening’s final race with a time of 4:43.62. Walshe’s sibling, Eva, also took part in the final landing in the sixth position with a time of 5:21.57.
While Nathan Wiffen couldn’t join his twin brother Daniel in Paris, he nonetheless championed the 1,500 metre freestyle, setting a lifetime best with a brilliant 14-second improvement. Wiffen initially entered the race with a personal best of 15:21.11, reducing it to 15:06.48, earning him a championship record and the national title. Denis O’Brien from Limerick claimed the silver with a time of 16:22.96, well over a minute behind Wiffen. Wiffen was also close to the Paris qualification target time of 15:00.99.
Shane Ryan was once again narrowly off the Olympic qualifying time of 48.34 in the 100m freestyle, clocking 48.66 at a buzzing arena, slightly higher than the Irish Record of 48.49 he set on Saturday. Evan Bailey, who established a new Irish junior record with 49.40 on Saturday, trailed behind Ryan who took gold, followed by 100m butterfly champion Max McCusker.
John Shortt bagged his second national championship of the week when he clinched gold in the 50m backstroke, adding to his 200m gold from Saturday. The 200m freestyle final saw a nail-biting finish with Victoria Catterson edging Grace Davison by the narrowest margin. Representing National Centre Dublin, Catterson finished first with a time of 2:00.62, just a hair above Davison of Ards who finished in 2:00.63. Maria Godden from National Centre Limerick came third with a time of 2:04.95.
Earlier in the evening, the 16-year-old Davison secured a gold medal and national title in the 50m freestyle, clocking in at 26.02. She was followed by UCD’s Jena Macdougald and Eva Harrington from Sundays Wells.
The men’s 50m butterfly saw Dylan Registe taking the title with a time of 24.61, with Ennis’s Dylan O’Brien and Isaac Fitzmaurice trailing behind. The women’s final had Jena Macdougald and Emma Reid sharing the gold, with both clocking in at 27.92. National Centre Limerick’s Lucy O’Brien came third.
The Olympic qualifying times were achieved by Daniel Wiffen in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle, Ellen Walshe in the 200m and 400m IM, Mona McSharry in the 100m breaststroke, Danielle Hill in the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke, and Tom Fannon in the 50m freestyle. The women’s and men’s 4x100m medley relay teams both require two Olympic qualifying times to nail their Olympic spots.
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