European Champion Shortt Back to Breaking Records in Dublin

European Short Course Champion and newly minted World and European Junior Record holder John Shortt was back in Ireland and back breaking records as the Irish Winter Championships got underway at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre on Friday.

Shortt, who won 200m Backstroke gold in Poland last week set his seventeenth and eighteenth Irish Record of the past month, with new a senior and junior time in the 200m Individual Medley.

The 18-year-old had set an Irish Junior Record of 1:57.39 in the event at the Munster Championships (SC) in November, tonight, he obliterated that and Brendan Hyland’s 2019 Irish Senior Record of 1:56.74 in 1:55.80.

Shortt was the only swimmer under the two-minute mark with his National Centre Limerick team-mate Cormac Rynn second in 2:00.49 and Dolphin’s Charlie Cassidy third in 2:00.85.

Another new European gold medallist Ellen Walshe was also back racing on Friday. Walshe, who won European 200m Butterfly gold and 200m Individual Medley silver in Poland won the 100m Freestyle in a speedy 53.18, just outside the Irish record of 53.03. Ards’ Grace Davison was second in 53.61 and National Centre Limerick’s Danielle Farrell third in 54.31.

Having won silver in the 200m Individual Medley Cormac Rynn was back in the pool for the 100m Freestyle and upgraded to gold in 49.12 seconds. National Centre Ulster’s Brandon Biss won silver in 49.36 with NAC’s Oisin Tebite just two hundredths of a second behind in 49.38.

Another National Centre Limerick swimmer, Isabel Kidney, took the women’s 200m Individual Medley gold in a tight race with just six tenths of a second separating the medallists. Kidney was first in 2:15.25, NAC’s Kelly-Ann Brown second in 2:15.52 and UCD’s Jena Macdougald third in 2:15.86.

Skye Austin-Burrows dipped under the nine-minute mark to win the Women’s 800m Freestyle Final. The Larne swimmer clocked 8:59.47 followed by Kilkenny’s Abby Cunningham (9:04.36) and Bangor’s Eva Hand (9:05.23).  National Centre Limerick’s Daragh Horgan cruised to victory in the men’s final touching home in 8:01.37, Kilkenny’s Paddy Cuddihy was second in 8:19.42 with Dolphin’s Tadgh O’Brien third in 8:25.56.

European Championships (SC) team member Jack Cassin (NCL) was the only swimmer under two minutes, winning the Men’s 200m Butterfly Final in 1:54.44. UCD’s Sean Donnellan claimed silver in 2:00.05 and Sundays Wells’ Alex Barrett bronze in 2:03.24. National Centre Ulster’s Alana Burns-Atkin won the women’s final in 2:12.44 followed by New Ross’ Eva Bayley (2:17.41) and Eva Hand, not long after swimming the 800m Freestyle Final, won a second bronze in 2:22.65.

In the Men’s 50m Backstroke Finals National Centre Limerick’s Paddy Johnston was first home in 1:30.64 followed by UCD’s David O’Loughlin in 24.84 and National Centre Ulster’s Brandon Biss in 25.40. Biss’ Ulster centre team-mate Lottie Cullen took the gold in the women’s final in 26.77 with National Centre Limerick’s Maria Godden claiming silver in 27.73. There was a tie for bronze as Jena Macdougald and Ards’ Grace Davison both clocked 27.80.

National Centre Limerick’s Eoin Corby made it a clean sweep of golds across the men’s individual events as he won the final event of the day, the Men’s 100m Breaststroke. Corby was the only swimmer under one minute in 58.60 seconds. National Centre Ulster’s Cody Dunnion won silver in 1:00.68 and Larne’s Morgan Berryman bronze in 1:01.01.

Portmarnock’s Ava Jones won the women’s 100m Breaststroke Final in 1:08.26, she was followed closely by Shark’s Niamh Connery in 1:08.91 and 200m Individual Medley winner Isabel Kidney was back on the podium to claim bronze in 1:09.02.

In Friday’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Finals, a Lisburn City team of Dylan Registe, Alfie Shawe, Christopher Mason and Adam Colgan took gold in 1:30.64 ahead of NAC in 1:32.73 and Dolphin in 1:33.66, while in the women’s event, the quartet of Emily Huges, Skye Austin-Burrows, Sophie Foran and Sarah McNally of Larne won ahead of NAC in 1:48.05 and Sundays Well in 1:48.77.

ENDS

Full Results

Open 200m Freestyle Relay: 1^st Lisburn City SC 1:30.64 2^nd NAC SC 1:32.73 3^rd Dolphin SC 1:33.66

Female 200m Freestyle Relay: 1^st Larne 1:47.28 2^nd NAC SC 1:48.05 3^rd Sundays Well SC 1:48.77

Open 50m Backstroke: 1^st P Johnston Ards/NCL 24.32 2^nd D O’Loughlin UCD 24.84 3^rd B Biss Swim Belfast/NCU 25.40

Female 50m Backstroke: 1^st L Cullen Swim Belfast/NCU 26.77 2^nd M Godden Kilkenny/NCL 27.73 3^rd J Macdougald UCD 27.80 & G Davison Ards 27.80

Open 200m IM: 1^st J Shortt Bluefin/NCL 1:55.80 ISR/IJR 2^nd C Rynn Trident/NCL 2:00.49 3^rd C Cassidy Dolphin SC 2:00.85

Female 200m IM: 1^st I Kidney Sundays Well/NCL 2:15.25 2^nd KA Brown NAC SC 2:15.52 3^rd J Macdougald UCD 2:15.86

Open 800m Freestyle: 1^st D Horgan Limerick/NCL 8:01.37 2^nd P Cuddihy Kilkenny 8:19.42 3^rd T O’Brien Dolphin 8:25.56

Female 800m Freestyle: 1^st S Austin Burrows Larne 8:59.47 2^nd A Cunningham Kilkenny 9:04.36 3^rd E Hand Bangor 9:05.23

Open 100m Freestyle: 1^st C Rynn Trident/NCL 49.12 2^nd B Biss Swim Belfast/NCU 49.36 3^rd O Tebite NAC 49.38

Female 100m Freestyle: 1^st E Walshe Templeogue 53.18 2^nd G Davison Ards 53.61 3^rd D Farrell Sligo/NCL 54.31

Open 200m Butterfly: 1^st J Cassin Dolphin/NCL 1:54.44 2^nd S Donnellan UCD 2:00.05 3^rd A Barrett Sundays Well 2:03.24

Female 200m Butterfly: 1^st A Burns-Atkin Banbridge 2:12.44 2^nd E Bayley New Ross 2:17.41 3^rd E Hand Bangor 2:22.65

Open 100m Breaststroke: 1^st E Corby Limerick/NCL 58.60 2^nd C Dunnion Bangor 1:00.68 3^rd M Berryman Larne 1:01.01

Female 100m Breaststroke: 1^st A Jones Portmarnock 1:08.26 2^nd N Connery Shark SC 1:08.91 3^rd I Kidney 1:09.02

Notes:

Schedule: Heats 9am | Finals 5pm

Results: live-timings.swimireland.ie

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