Swim Ireland’s Irish National Winter Championships continued at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre today with Evan Bailey setting another two Irish records while Danielle Hill, Ellen Walshe, Victoria Catterson and Eoin Corby added to their national titles from the opening day of competition.
Evan Bailey continued his record-breaking form, with two new Irish junior records in the 50m Butterfly today, adding to the two 100m Freestyle Irish junior records he broke on Friday. Bailey first broke Paddy Johnston’s 2019 time of 24.02 in the heats, with a time of 23.84. The 18-year-old lowered that time again in the final to place third in 23.61. National Centre Dublin swimmers Calum Bain and Shane Ryan won gold and silver in 23.19 and 23.26, respectively.
Thirty minutes later, Bailey was back in the pool to claim victory in the 200m Freestyle Final, touching in 1:44.50 ahead of National Centre Limerick’s Jeremy Bagshaw (1:45.14) who won commemorative silver. Finn McGeever won national silver in 1:47.31, while National Centre Dublin’s Danny Morgan (1:49.09) won bronze.
Larne’s Danielle Hill added a third title to the two she won on the opening night of competition, in the 100m Backstroke. Hill, who had set a new Irish record of 57.56 in the event just last week, clocked 58.16, winning gold ahead of National Centre Ulster’s Lottie Cullen (58.41) and Ellen Walshe (59.22).
Walshe starred with a further two titles of her own Saturday. The 400m Individual Medley European bronze medallist won the national title in the same event in 4:41.25 after claiming 50m Butterfly gold earlier in the evening in 26.03.
In the 400m Individual Medley Banbridge’s Alana Burns-Atkin won silver in 4:58.15, while bronze went to Limerick’s Hannah O’Connor 4:59.25. Hill was second in the 50m Butterfly in 26.25 ahead of Ards’ Emma Reid (27.06).
In the women’s 200m Freestyle Final, Victoria Catterson added to the 800m Freestyle title she won on Friday coming home first in 1:56.41, just outside the Irish record of 1:55.90 she set at the European Short Course Championships last week. Walshe (1:59.17) and Grace Davison (1:59.70) were the only other swimmers under the two-minute mark, claiming silver and bronze.
In the Men’s 100m Backstroke Final, NAC’s Matthew Walsh Hussey touched in 54.31 to win his first national title of the weekend, ahead of National Centre Limerick’s Neddie Irwin (55.61), and Swim Belfast’s Brandon Biss (55.66).
Ellie McCartney won her first gold of the weekend in a dominant display in the 200m Breaststroke. The National Centre Limerick swimmer won in 2:25.31 ahead of Shark’s Niamh Connery (2:31.30) and Portmarnock’ s Ava Jones (2:31.76). In the men’s final National Centre Dublin’s Eoin Corby won his second gold of the meet clocking 2:07.67; Tuam’s Uiseann Cooke won silver in 2:10.12 with Terenure’s Liam O’Connor completing the podium in 2:11.49.
Ella Carroll cruised to victory in the women’s 1500m Freestyle Final. The National Centre Limerick swimmer stopped the clock at 17:06.20 and had twenty seconds to spare over Jessika Robson who claimed commemorative silver in 17:29.29. Kilkenny’s Nessa Godden won national silver in 17:42.54, with bronze going to Slaney Shark’s Katie Prunty (17:49.59).
In the Men’s 1500m Final, Trojan’s Ronan Fahey topped the podium in 15:43.40 ahead of National Centre Limerick team-mates Denis O’Brien (15:51.74) and Daragh Horgan (15:58.13).
The final individual event, of the penultimate day of racing, saw Limerick’s Mark Szaranek home first to claim commemorative gold in the 400m Individual Medley in 4:01.67. Winning the national title, National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin was close to breaking Daniel Wiffen’s Irish record of 4:11.05, finishing in 4:11.87. 1500m Freestyle champion Fahey was second in 4:34.69 while 1500m Freestyle bronze medallist Horgan added another bronze to his haul in 4:36.67.
Earlier today, Larne swimmers, Danielle Hill, Morgan Berryman, Thomas Leggett, and Sophie Doran combined to win both the Mixed 200m Medley Relay and Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay. The quartet won the medley relay in 1:45.61 ahead of Limerick (1:48.11) and Ards (1:49.80); Larne then went on to win the freestyle relay in 1:38.03, while silver went to Ards (1:38.42) and bronze to Limerick (1:40.25).
Competition continues tomorrow, Saturday.
Information:
Results: Live Timing or Meet Mobile App (search 2023 Irish National Winter Championships)
Schedule: Heats 9.30am/Finals 5pm
Results Day 2
Women 100m Backstroke: 1st D Hill Larne 58.16 2nd L Cullen National Centre Ulster 58.41 3rd E Walshe Templeogue 59.22
Men 100m Backstroke: 1st M Walsh-Hussey NAC 54.31 2nd N Irwin National Centre Limerick 55.61 3rd B Biss Swim Belfast 55.56
Women 50m Butterfly: 1st E Walshe Templeogue 26.03 2nd D Hill Larne 26.25 3rd E Reid Ards 27.06
Men 50m Butterfly: 1st C Bain National Centre Dublin 23.19 2nd S Ryan National Centre Dublin 23.25 3rd E Bailey New Ross 23.61 IJR
Women 200m Freestyle: 1st V Catterson National Centre Dublin 1:56.41 2nd E Walshe Templeogue 1:59.17 3rd G Davison Ards 1:59.70
Men 200m Freestyle: 1st E Bailey New Ross 1:44.50 2nd J Bagshaw National Centre Limerick 1:45.14 Commemorative 2nd F McGeever National Centre Limerick 1:47.21 3rd D Morgan National Centre Dublin 1:49.09
Women 200m Breaststroke: 1st E McCartney National Centre Limerick 2:25.31 2nd N Connery Shark 2:31.30 3rd A Jones Portmarnock 2:31.76
Men 200m Breaststroke: 1st E Corby National Centre Dublin 2:07.67 2nd U Cooke Tuam 2:10.12 3rd L O’Connor Terenure 2:11.49
Women 400m IM: 1st E Walshe Templeogue 4:41.25 2nd A Burns Atkin Banbridge 4:58.15 3rd H O’Connor Limerick 4:59.25
Men 400m IM: 1st M Szaranek Limerick 4:01.64 Commemorative 1st J Cassin National Centre Limerick 4:11.87 2nd R Fahey Trojan 4:34.69 3rd D Horgan National Centre Limerick 4:36.67
Women 1500m Freestyle: 1st E Carroll National Centre Limerick 17:06.20 2nd J Robson Lisburn 17:29.29 Commemorative 2nd N Godden Kilkenny 17:42.54 3rd K Prunty Slaney Sharks 17:49.59
Men 1500m Freestyle: 1st R Fahey Trojan 15:43.40 2nd D O’Brien National Centre Limerick 15:51.74 3rd D Horgan National Centre Limerick 15:58.13
Mixed 200m Medley Relay: 1st Larne 1:46.39 2nd Limerick 1:48.11 3rd Ards 1:49.80
Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay: 1st Larne 1:38.03 2nd Ards 1:38.42 3rd Limerick 1:40.35
