Shortt Demolishes Another Record in Paris; Para Relay Gold in Barcelona

Ireland’s John Shortt has demolished yet another Irish Record, this time, the 19-year-old has taken down Shane Ryan’s 2019 record of 53.73 in the 100m Backstroke. 

Shortt, who set a new standard of 1:56.07 in the 200m Backstroke on Saturday, scorched 53.37 to take a silver medal at the Giant Open in Paris.  

The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer had a previous best of 53.80 from the Semi-Final of the 100m Backstroke at the World Junior Championships in August last year, the Galway man went on to win gold in the final in 53.86. 

Also, in action in Paris, Ellen Walshe claimed her third silver medal of the weekend clocking 2:10.97 in the 200m Individual Medley, Ellie McCartney was fourth in the same final in 2:12.60, just seven hundredths of a second outside the medals. In the 100m Butterfly, Jack Cassin was seventh in 53.32. 

At the Para Swimming World Series in Barcelona, Ireland capped off the week in golden fashion as Barry McClements, Dearbhaile Brady, Ellie Lynch and Luke O’Donoghue won gold in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay in 4:42.41.  

O’Donogue (1:15.07) and Luke Brennan (1:22.59) closed out the weekend with fifth and seventh respectively in the 100m Butterly Youth Final. Ellie Lynch, competing in the 200m Individual Medley (3:06.28 PB) and 50m Freestyle (33.90) Youth Finals was fourth and fifth.  

Róisín Ní Riain set a new lifetime best on her way to winning the 50m Freestyle B Final (S13) in 28.06, Dearbhaile Brady placed fifth in 36.19 in the S6 class, while S9 swimmer Barry McClements (1:04.22) was fourth and (S14) Deaten Registe (1:03.78) eighth in the 100m Butterfly B Final. 

Following the event, Para Swimming Head Coach Hayley Burke said: “It’s great to have a mix of our most experienced swimmers, we have Paralympians as well as world and European medalists in the team, and then some swimmers just starting out in their competitive journeys. That’s experience you can’t manufacture; it’s watching how the best does the basics consistently well that teach the next generation how it’s done.” 

Burke also spoke about the exciting talent coming through the junior ranks: “We’ve had a few years building the development of para swimmers; a squad that started out with 12 swimmers of which Luke O, Luke B and Ellie were part of. They’ve had a few international meets now and are really finding their stride. The squad now has over 25 in it currently and we’ve found the likes of maya and Sam who’ve burst on to the scene through the pathway that’s now well established. It’s an exciting time in Irish swimming.” 

All Irish swimmers will be back in action at the Irish Open Swimming Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials from April 8th – 12th at the Bangor Auora Centre in Down, where places on summer international teams including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and European Championships in Paris, will be up for grabs. 

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