Paris Olympians Impress on Opening Night of Racing in Bangor

The 2025 McCullagh International kicked off as over five hundred swimmers from one hundred clubs descended on County Down for an action-packed three days of racing at the Bangor Aurora Aquatic Complex. The McCullagh International serves as the first opportunity for many swimmers to compete in a long course pool in 2025, with some of Ireland’s best going head-to-head with top talent from across the water. The opening night of action saw Irish and British Olympians take to the podium with Ireland’s up and coming talent also making their mark

One of the highlights of the evening was the Male & Open 100m Freestyle, which featured a stacked field, including Paris Olympic 4x200m Freestyle Relay gold medallists Duncan Scott and Jack McMillan. The big names showed up and produced a titanic battle with little separating the top three. Scott (49.47) pipped McMillan (49.48), while Evan Bailey (National Centre Limerick) battled to post 49.71, a fine performance from the Wexford native.

The Female 100m Freestyle Final served up another thriller as Lucy Hope (University of Stirling) claimed the gold in 55.74, next to get her hand on the wall was Paris Olympian, Grace Davison (Ards) in 56.53, with third going to Drew McKenzie (Edinburgh University) in 56.68.

Paris 2024 Finalist Ellen Walshe cruised to gold in the Female 400m IM in 4:43.33, the Templeogue swimmer putting on a show for a packed pool. Suzie McNair (University of Stirling) was Walshe’s closest competitor in 4:53.47, followed by Georgina Walker of Drogheda in 5:04.52.

The first night of finals started with the Female 1500m Freestyle, Aoife Harkin (Club Wolverine) and Rebekah Friel (Dundalk) taking the race out from the onset, both swimmers went stroke for stroke for the majority of the race, it would be Harkin who pulled away with the sound of the bell to stop the clock first in 17:49.01, Friel claimed silver (17:52.00), while Anna Nikishkina (Aer Lingus) took bronze in 18:06.14.

Edinburgh University’s Luke Hornsey dominated the Men & Open 800m Freestyle claiming gold in a time of 8:08.75, National Centre (Limerick) swimmer Denis O’Brien was next home in 8:31.09, with third going to Tobias Birrer (Swim Regio Solothurn).

The backstroke ledges entered the pool with the Male & Open 50m Backstroke entering the water first. Edinburgh’s Scott Gibson touched the wall first to claim gold in 25.75. Charlie Cassidy (National Centre Limerick) was next home, Jack Simpson-Docherty (City of Glasgow) won bronze. Rebecca Sutton (Swansea University) stopped the clock in 29.15 to win gold in the Female 50m Backstroke. Mollie Garratt (City of Aquatics Manchester) and Cora Rooney (National Centre Limerick) joined Sutton on the podium.

Butterfly specialist Jack Cassin (National Centre Limerick) dominated the Male & Open 200m Butterfly, taking the gold back to Limerick with a time of 2:00.21. Swansea University duo Antonio Rodriguez and Rhys Edwards claimed second and third on the podium, respectively. In the Female 200m Butterfly, Catherine Roberts (Swansea University) won in 2:19.33. The silver did not have to go far as Alana Burns-Atkin of National Centre Ulster was next home in 2:21.32, Eva Bayley (New Ross) picked up bronze in 2:24.05.

The 100m Breaststroke was the final event of the evening. Eoin Corby of National Centre Limerick claimed the gold in the Men’s Final in 1:02.82. Lewis Fraser (Swansea University) stopped the clock in 1:03.58 for second, with bronze going to Banbridge swimmer Jacob Armon in 1:04.25.

The final race of the opening day of racing was worth the wait for the full house as Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh University) and Ellie McCartney (National Centre Limerick) went stroke for stroke in the Female 100m Breaststroke Final. Hanlon was the eventual winner in 1:07.45 ahead of an impressive McCartney (1:07.77), McCartney swimming a personal best and under 68 seconds for the first time. National Centre Dublin’s Niamh Coyne claimed bronze in 1:10.83.

The McCullagh International serves as the national relay championships and national honours were up for grabs from the onset. An Aer Lingus team of Julia Dziedzic, Jessica Purcell, Lucie O’Keeffe and Anna Nikishkina topped the podium in the Female 4x200m Freestyle Relay in 8:55.85, while the national silver went to Ards (9:00.44) and bronze to Cork club Dolphin (9:40.35).

Dolphin returned to the podium this time in the Open 4x200m Freestyle Relay as Tadgh O’Brien, Ben Merrigan, James McIlroy, and Noah Switzer went a combined 8:10.31 to claim the national title. Ards came home in second (8:12.32) with bronze going to Limerick (8:13.30).

The Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay gold went to Banbridge’s Annabelle Wilkinson, Alan Karchenko, Alan Burns-Atkin, and John Rada in a combined time of 4:12.12. Tallaght stopped the clock next in a time of 4:17.91, while Ards claimed their third relay medal of the morning with bronze in 4:18.81.

Competition continues Saturday. Press releases will be issued daily.

Full Results – Day 1 (21^st Feb)

Female 4x200m Freestyle Relay

1. Aer Lingus – 8:55.85
2. Ards – 9:00.44
3. Dolphin – 9:40.35

Male & Open 4x200m Freestyle Relay

1. Dolphin – 8:10.31
2. Ards – 8:12.23
3. Limerick – 8:13.30

Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay

1. Banbridge – 4:12.12
2. Tallaght – 4:17.91
3. Ards – 4:19.81

Female 1500m Freestyle

1. Aoife Harkin (Club Wolverine) | 17:49.01
2. Rebekah Friel (Dundalk) | 17:52.00
3. Anna Nikishkina (Aer Lingus) | 18:06.14

Male & Open 800m Freestyle

1. Luke Hornsey (Edinburgh University) | 8:08.75
2. Denis O’Brien (NCL) | 8:31.08
3. Tobias Birrer (Swim Regio Solothurn) | 8:32.90

Female 400m IM

1. Ellen Walshe (Templeogue) | 4:43.33
2. Suzie McNair (University of Stirling) | 4:53.47
3. Georgina Walker (Drogheda) | 5:04.52

Male & Open 50m Backstroke

1. Scott Gibson (Edinburgh University) | 25.75
2. Charlie Cassidy (NCL) | 26.97
3. Jack Simpson-Docherty (City of Glasgow) | 27.32

Female 50m Backstroke

1. Rebecca Sutton (Swansea University) | 29.15
2. Mollie Garratt (City of Aquatics Manchester) | 29.76
3. Cora Rooney (NCL) | 30.10

Male & Open 100m Freestyle

1. Duncan Scott (University of Stirling) | 49.47
2. Jack McMillan (University of Stirling) | 49.48
3. Evan Bailey (NCL) | 49.71

Female 100m Freestyle

1. Lucy Hope (University of Stirling) | 55.74
2. Grace Davison (Ards) | 56.53
3. Drew McKenzie (Edinburgh University) | 56.68

Male & Open 200m Butterfly

1. Jack Cassin (NCL) | 2:00.21
2. Antonio Rodriguez (Swansea University) | 2:04.22
3. Rhys Edwards (Swansea University) | 2:05.32

Female 200m Butterfly

1. Catherine Roberts (Swansea University) | 2:19.33
2. Alana Burns-Atkin (NCU) | 2:21.32
3. Eva Bayley (New Ross) | 2:24.05

Male & Open 100m Breaststroke

1. Eoin Corby (NCL) | 1:02.82
2. Lewis Fraser (Swansea University) | 1:03.58
3. Jacob Armon (Banbridge) | 1:04.25

Female 100m Breaststroke

1. Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh University) | 1:07.45
2. Ellie McCartney (NCL) | 1:07.77
3. Niamh Coyne (NCD) | 1:10.83

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