McCusker Scorches New Irish Butterfly Record
The 2024 Irish Open and Olympic Trials continued this morning in the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre with a number of outstanding performances on the second morning of the five-day competition.
Max McCusker set a new Irish Senior Record and Championship Record in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 51.90. McCusker broke his own Senior Record of 52.31 which he set at the 2024 World Championships in Doha; the time was also a new Championship Record that has been held by Brendan Hyland since 2018 (52.62). McCusker will be aiming for the Olympic Qualification Time of 51.67 later this evening.
Swimming next to McCusker in the 100m Butterfly Evan Bailey set a new Irish Junior Record, his second in as many days. Bailey lowered his own junior record of 54.22 set in 2023 to 53.47.
The opening event of the day saw Darragh Greene set a new Championship Record of 59.91 in the 100m Breaststroke. Greene is the Irish Record holder in the event in 59.76 and will need a 59.49 second swim this afternoon or tomorrow to achieve the Olympic Qualification Time. In second place in 1:00.92 Eoin Corby achieved the European Championships Consideration Time.
In the 50m Freestyle Heats, Tom Fannon came agonisingly close to the Olympic Qualification Time of 21.96. The National Centre Dublin swimmer stopped the clock in 22.02 and needs to find just six hundredths of a second to secure the OQT in this afternoon’s A Final.
McCusker, Bailey, Greene and Fannon all secured consideration times for the European Aquatics Championships in Serbia in June.
Danielle Hill, who achieved the Olympic Qualification Time in the 100m Backstroke on Wednesday, was back in the pool this morning for the heats of the 100m Freestyle. Hill was the fastest qualifier into this afternoon’s ‘A Final’ in 55.87. Right behind Hill, touching in 55.88, 16-year-old Grace Davison set a new Irish Junior Record of 55.88. The Ards swimmer broke her own record of 56.01 set earlier this month.
Niamh Coyne progresses as the fastest swimmer in the 100m Breaststroke after she was the only swimmer under the seventy second mark in the 100m Breaststroke Heats clocking 1:08.99.
Also, in action this evening, Daniel and Nathan Wiffen return for the 800m Final, where Nathan will be looking for the OQT of 7:51.65 and Conor Ferguson has another opportunity at the OQT in the 100m Backstroke.
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), Danielle Hill (100m Backstroke)
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
2024 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, 100m Butterfly), Conor Ferguson (100m Backstroke), Danielle Hill (100m Backstroke), Nathan Wiffen (800m Freestyle), Ellie McCartney (200m IM), Cormac Rynn (200m Freestyle), Jack Cassin (200m Freestyle), Darragh Greene (100m Breaststroke), Tom Fannon (50m Freestyle), Max McCusker (100m Butterfly), Eoin Corby (100m Breaststroke)
The post McCusker Scorches New Irish Butterfly Record appeared first on Swim Ireland.