As diving comes to a close today, swimming at the World Aquatics Championships gets underway in the Qatar capital tomorrow, with seven Irish swimmers in action.
Doha is the second of three opportunities for Irish swimmers to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the third and final of these being the Irish Olympic Trials in May. For relays, the week ahead will be the last opportunity for Paris qualification, with Ireland Women’s 4x100m Freestyle and 4x100m Medley and Men’s 4x100m Medley all in current contention for places following last summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka.
Three Irish swimmers have already secured qualification for the Games, with Daniel Wiffen, Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe all having booked their places on the flight to Paris later this year.
Wiffen will lead the Irish charge on Sunday in the heats of the 400m Freestyle. The European and World Record holder in the 800m Freestyle has already produced the Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) in the event and will be focused tomorrow morning on securing a top eight place to ensure he has a spot in the evening’s Final.
In the 100m Breaststroke heats, Tokyo 2020 Olympian Darragh Greene will be aiming for a second Olympic Games when he takes to the blocks. Greene, the Irish record holder in the event in 59.76, will need to better that time to 59.49 to assure qualification for Paris.
For the Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay of Erin Riordan, Grace Davison, Maria Godden, and Victoria Catterson, tomorrow represents an opportunity to solidify their place within the top sixteen teams in the world and a place for an Ireland women’s relay team at an Olympic Games – a first time since 1972 if they can achieve this.
With this Ireland relay sitting in 15th place following their result at the 2023 World Championships, there are a number of factors at play that can move them up or down the rankings this time of asking.
Shane Ryan will warm up for his main event, the 100m Freestyle, by competing in the 50m Butterfly, which is a non-Olympic event.
Speaking ahead of the swimming, Swim Ireland Performance Director Jon Rudd said “This week is both unusual and unprecedented for the world of swimming. We have never seen a World Championships in Olympic year prior to the Games, and we’re also unlikely to see that again going forwards. However, this Championships provides a very unique opportunity for every Irish athlete that has made this trip to Doha, and this brings a new level of excitement and anticipation to this particular competition. For those who step up and grab what is possible here, there is no doubt that the weeks of hard work and preparation will be gratifying and fully justified.”
Swimming Schedule Day 1 – Sunday 11th February 2024
Men 400m Freestyle Daniel Wiffen
Men 50m Butterfly Shane Ryan
Men 100m Breaststroke Darragh Greene
Women 4x100m Freestyle Relay Ireland (Erin Riordan, Grace Davison, Maria Godden, Victoria Catterson)
