July 29, 2018
Swim Ireland’s Irish Summer Nationals finished in Dublin today. Ireland’s young swimmers have shown impressive form this week and NPD Jon Rudd believes the future is bright! Rudd was delighted with the five days of racing at the NAC and said, “I think that we have all seen Irish swimming take another significant step forwards this week. The format of the meet has allowed our athletes to prepare well for finals and it has been great to see so many athletes from so many clubs step up and produce some excellent performances throughout the week. All four of our Regions can be praised for their work in developing some excellent talent here and I consider this to be a line in the sand for Irish swimming in terms of who we are and where we are going. Onwards and upwards Swim Ireland - terrific work everyone!”
Catch up on tonight’s highlights below.
800m Freestyle
Freestyle ace Edel Daly took her third title this week adding to 1500m and 400m Freestyle gold medals with a win in the 15-year-olds 800m event. The National Centre Limerick swimmer cruised to the win in 9:20.75. Otter’s Charlotte O’Riordan took 16-year-old gold in 9:27.12 while Aer Lingus’ Lara McEvoy claimed 17&O gold in 9:30.92 and was joined in the top spot on the podium by Toronto’s Andrea Putrimas who won commemorative gold in 9:21.56. In the 12-13 age group Leander’s Mollie McAlorum was first home in 9:46.59 and in the 14-years age group Dolphin SC star Hannah O’Shea took her fifth gold medal of the meet in 9:28.31, Toronto’s Freya Rothery was first home in 9:24.16.
In the boys 17&O Final Andrew Meegan added to 400m and 1500m Gold with the win in 8:22.63 ahead of Lisburn’s Daniel Wiffen (8:26.02). Another Lisburn swimmer, Caleb Maguire took 16-years age group gold in 9:09.57, while Brian Desmond, swimming for Kilkenny, took his fourth gold, topping the podium in 9:15.07.
1500m Freestyle
Ards’ Matthew Hand made it gold number 7 this week as the first swimmer home in the boys 12-13 1500m Freestyle Final. The 13-year-old has been very impressive this week and ended the meet on a high in 18:06.01. Liam Custer of Sundays Well, another swimmer with an impressive haul, took 14-years age group gold in 17:14.84, his fifth gold of the week.
200m Backstroke
Marlins’ swimmer Cora Rooney took the final evening’s first medal, her first gold of the meet, in the girls 12-13 200m Backstroke Final in 2:28.74. Templemore’s Charlotte Cullen added to 100m Backstroke gold in the 14-years age group in 2:32.31 and was joined by Toronto’s Elsa Daigle on top of the podium, Daigle won commemorative gold in 2:22.38. Amelia Kane (15) and Maria Godden (16), both gold medallists already this week, took gold in their age groups in 2:21.01 and 2:18.63 respectively while in the 17&O age group Dolphin’s Ellen Cassidy won ahead of Ellen Walshe (2:21.98) in 2:21.69.
Rory McEvoy completed a Backstroke treble when he came home in 2:05.51 and shared the top of the podium with Belgium’s Sjobbe Luyten (2:01.56). Sean Scannell impressed once again dominating the 16-years age group to win in 2:04.98. Custer, who had won 14-years 1500m Freestyle gold earlier today finished his meet with his sixth gold medal in 2:15.05. Custer’s Sundays Well teammate Neddie Irwin won 15-years gold in 2:13.11 while Coolmine’s Maitiu Clarke completed the 200m Backstroke winners touching in 2:24.28 for 12-13 age-group gold.
50m Butterfly
National Centre Dublin’s Emma Reid, Templeogue’s Ellen Walshe (27.77) and Toronto’s Honor Brody Foy (27.87) were all under 28 seconds in the 15&O Butterfly Final, Reid taking the top spot in 27.59. In the boy’s event Ards’ Conor Munn got to the wall in 24.86 to take the last individual gold of the week. NAC’s Brian O’Sullivan (24.91) was second, his team mate Cillian Colvin and UCD’s John Higgins tied for third in 25.04.
Relays
In the final events of the five-day meet Templeogue’s team of Alie Martin, Robyn Lynch, Ellen Walshe and Cara Osing combined for gold in the girls 400m Medley Relay in 4:2.87. Aer Lingus were second in 4:26.06 with Otter completing the podium in 4:28.89.
Limerick’s Alan and Eoin Corby, Jeremy O’Connor and Jack Szaranek won the boy’s event in 3:52.59 with NAC second in 3:55.91, Zimbabwe third for commemorative bronze in 4:01.56 and Sunday’s Well taking the Irish bronze medal in 4:12.80.
Irish swimming’s attention now turns to the European Championships in Glasgow where 11 Irish swimmers and 3 divers compete from Friday next 3rd August to Thursday 9th August.
