Irish swimmers delivered three gold and a silver medal at the LEN European Under 23 Swimming Championships 2023 at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre to end the opening night of competition at the top of the medal table. Mona McSharry, Ellen Walshe and Daniel Wiffen all clinched gold medals with Walshe also adding silver to her collection.
Mona McSharry got the finals of the LEN Dublin European U23 Championships 2023 off to the perfect start as she secured the first ever medal of the inaugural LEN U23 Championships in front of her home support in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke Final. McSharry won gold in a brilliant time of 30:37, powering home over the last 5 metres, to edge ahead Italy’s Anita Bottazzo.
Speaking after her gold medal performance McSharry said “I was just going out there trying to race, have some fun and get my hands on the wall first. This morning was a pretty good race and I was just trying to top that and go faster, and I did so I can’t but be happy with it and then to come out with a gold is just awesome. It’s a great way to start the meet.”
Delighted to be competing in Ireland McSharry said “It’s amazing, I think coming into it I wasn’t sure what to expect but even yesterday in the build-up and hearing people were coming and having my family and friends and all being able to sit in the stands is just awesome you know, there’s just so many more familiar faces, it’s not just one or two it’s 90% of the crowd is Irish so that’s awesome!”
Ellen Walshe had an outstanding night in the pool as she was crowned European U23 Champion in the 200m individual Medley as well as winning 100m Butterfly silver.
Walshe’s first final was the 100m Butterfly, where she produced a stirring comeback. The Templeogue woman looked to be in trouble after the first 50 when she turned in eighth place overall, but she produced the fastest second 50m of any swimmer in the pool thundering home in 30.4 seconds to claim second place in 58.70, missing the gold medal by just 2 tenths of a second to Keanna McInnes from Great Britain.
Speaking about her silver medal performance Walshe said “ I knew it was going to be a tough one after three swims this morning. It’s not a personal best but it’s better than it has been so yeah, I’m happy enough with it.”
“It’s been tough since coming back from worlds, getting back into the swing of things. Having another home competition made things a little bit easier for me but, yeah, listen I’m happy enough with tonight’s swim and to come away with a medal for Ireland, we don’t often get that so, delighted.”
In contrast to the Butterfly race, it was Walshe that that was in control in the 200m Individual Medley as she claimed Ireland’s second gold medal of the day. Walshe’s time of 2:13.12 saw her reach the end narrowly in second place behind Justina Kozan, but as that swimmer is from the USA the gold medal goes to Walshe as the fastest European. In an exceptional race Walshe turned after 100 metres in first place before powering through in the Breaststroke leg to turn for home, knowing the American’s strongest stroke was her freestyle, Walshe battled gamely to hold on to the lead but was caught by Kozan in the end. A second gold medal and second European U23 Champion for Ireland.
Speaking after the race Walshe said “I’ve never won a European medal in my life, I’ve got a youth medal but I haven’t got a European medal, it’s Under 23’s, it’s probably my only year I will be able to get this medal so I’m delighted to take gold for the 200IM today”
Daniel Wiffen electrified the Irish crowd in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle final as he produced a world class performance to win Ireland’s third gold medal, recording the 8th fastest time ever by a European over the distance. Wiffen lead from the very first 50m length and never relinquished the lead over the following 29 as he flirted with both World and European records at different stages of his swim. Wiffen cruised home to win gold in 14:35.79, just outside his best time of 14:34.91, after an extraordinary performance in front of a raucous home attendance.
Speaking after his brilliant performance Wiffen said “It feels amazing, we’re not really looking for individual success in this team coming into this meet, that was the world champs. This goal is to have a big team atmosphere, to support each other and deliver and we have three golds and a silver tonight so, amazing.”
Speaking about his time Wiffen said “I had no idea (I was so close to the European record) I thought I was way over my time and then to look back and see my time, it’s just special. It shows I still got the training bank in me and that, maybe I’ll go even faster in my other events after.”
Maria Godden enjoyed a strong performance in her 50m Backstroke Final as she took two tenths of a second off her time from the morning heats to come home in sixth place in 28.98, a new personal best for the National Centre Limerick swimmer. It looked as if the race might have gotten away from her, but Godden dug deep in the final 25m to record an excellent sixth place in a strong race which was won by Tessa Giele from the Netherlands with a time of 27:96.
Grace Hodgins got her LEN Dublin European u23 Swimming Championships underway in the 800m Freestyle. Hodgins showed real grit throughout the gruelling event as she battled with South Africa’s Janie Coetzer. In the end Hodgins edged out Coetzer to take eighth place in a strong race which was won by Germany’s Isobel Gose in 8:20.8.
Competition continues tomorrow with gold medallists McSharry, Wiffen and Walshe all returning to action.
Results Friday 11th August 2023
| F 50m Breaststroke | Mona McSharry | 30.66 (2) | F 30.37 (1) |
| M 200m Backstroke | John Shortt | 2:00.18 (12) | |
| W 100m Butterfly | Ellen Walshe | 58.86 (2) | F 58.70 (2) |
| F 50m Backstroke | Maria Godden | 29.20 (8) | F 28.98 (6) |
| M 50m Breaststroke | Eoin Corby
Liam O’Connor |
28.10 (14)
29.02 (27) |
|
| F 200m Freestyle | Victoria Catterson | 2:01.70 (11) | |
| M 100m Butterfly | Jack Cassin
Evan Bailey |
54.07 (27)
54.22 (30) IJR |
|
| F 200m IM | Ellen Walshe | 2:15.01 (2) | F 2:13.12 (1) |
| Mix 400m Medley Relay | Ireland | 3:54.74 (12) | |
| F 800m Freestyle Final | Grace Hodgins | F 8:59.54 (10) | |
| M 1500m Freestyle | Daniel Wiffen | F 14:35.79 (1) |
Schedule Saturday 12th August 2023
| F 400m Freestyle | Grace Hodgins |
| M 400m Freestyle | Daniel Wiffen |
| F 100m Breaststroke | Mona McSharry
Molly Mayne |
| M 50m Backstroke | John Shortt |
| M 50m Freestyle | Oisin Tebite
Matthew Walsh-Hussey |
| W 100m Backstroke | Maria Godden |
| M 200m Breaststroke | Eoin Corby
Liam O’Connor |
| F 50m Freestyle | Mona McSharry |
| M 200m Butterfly | Jack Cassin |
| W 400m Individual Medley | Ellen Walshe |
Note to Editor:
- Friday – Sunday schedule: Prelims: 09:30 / Finals: 18:00
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Photography available from Inpho Sports Photography
| 2023 LEN European Under 23 Championships
Dublin, Ireland |
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| Name | Home Programme | Home Programme Coach |
| Evan Bailey | New Ross SC | Fran Ronan |
| Jack Cassin | National Centre (Limerick) | John Szaranek |
| Victoria Catterson | National Centre (Ulster) | Kevin Anderson |
| Eoin Corby | National Centre (Limerick) | John Szaranek |
| Maria Godden | National Centre (Limerick) | John Szaranek |
| Grace Hodgins | Trojan SC, Dublin | Jonathan Preston |
| Molly Mayne | Hamilton Aquatics, UAE | Stuart Sant |
| Mona McSharry | University of Tennessee, USA | Matt Kredich |
| Liam O’Connor | Project 28, Dublin | Andrew Addison |
| John Shortt | National Centre (Limerick) | John Szaranek
Ian Claxton |
| Oisin Tebite | Project 28, Dublin | Andrew Addison |
| Ellen Walshe | Templeogue SC, Dublin | Brian Sweeney |
| Matthew Walsh-Hussey | NAC SC, Dublin | Dave Malone |
| Daniel Wiffen | Loughborough University, England | Andi Manley |
