Five Swimmers Secure European Championships Consideration Times on Opening Day of Irish Open
Swim Ireland’s Irish Open Swimming Championships and Olympic Trials got underway at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre this morning with some outstanding swims highlighting the first morning of action, including five swimmers achieving European Championships Consideration Times.
Double World Champion Daniel Wiffen, already qualified for the Paris Olympic Games, was once again under the Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) in the 800m Freestyle heat in 7:51.47.
Wiffen set a new Championship Record in the event, just ten minutes after his twin brother Nathan had broken his own 2023 Championship Record of 8:03.79 in a personal best swim of 7:56.40. The Loughborough swimmers will go again in tomorrow’s 800m Freestyle Final with Nathan targeting the OQT of 7:51.65.
Conor Ferguson showed his great form with a personal best swim in the 100m Backstroke. Ferguson’s time of 53.87 knocked a further three hundredths of a second off his best of 53.90 from the semi-final of the event at the World Championships in Doha. The 24-year-old is now just .13 of a second away from the OQT of 53.74 and he will have a second opportunity at it tonight.
Danielle Hill topped the women’s 100m Backstroke Heats with a time of 1:00.37. The Larne swimmer, who set an Irish Record of 1:00.16 in April, will target the OQT of 59.99 in tonight’s Final.
Evan Bailey set the first Irish Record of the week, with a new junior standard in the 200m Freestyle. The New Ross swimmer touched in 1:48.49, taking over a second off the 2018 standard of 1:49.57.
In the 200m Individual Medley, Ellen Walshe, who secured the OQT at the 2023 World Championships, swam a speedy 2:11.95 to earn the top seed for this evening’s Final.
Daniel Wiffen, Ferguson, Hill, Bailey and Walshe were all under the consideration time for the European Championships in their respective events.
Also today, Grace Hodgins (Sarasota Sharks), leads the rankings in the 1500m Freestyle in 17:07.38 while Banbridge’s Alana Burns-Atkin will be the top seed for this evening’s 200m Butterfly Final in 2:21.87.
International Swimming Events Summer 2024
2024 Paris Olympic Games
Olympic Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m, 1500m Freestyle), Ellen Walshe (200m IM), Mona McSharry (100m Breaststroke)
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
2023 European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, June 17th – 23rd
Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m, 1500m Freestyle), Ellen Walshe (200m, 400m IM, 100m Butterfly), Mona McSharry (50m, 100m, 200m Breaststroke), Evan Bailey (200m Freestyle), Conor Ferguson (100m Backstroke), Danielle Hill (100m Backstroke)
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