Silver for Corby and Bronze for McCartney at European U23 Championships; Walshe Wins Gold in Rome

In a spectacular showing for Irish swimmers on Friday night, a gold, silver and bronze were won in Slovakia and Rome. Ellie McCartney added to 200m IM Gold at the European U23 Championships with bronze in the 100m Breaststroke, Eoin Corby won his first international medal with Silver in the 200m Breaststroke, and at the Sette Colli International Ellen Walshe claimed gold in the 400m Individual Medley.

National Centre Limerick’s Eoin Corby becomes Ireland’s fifth ever European U23 medallist joining Mona McSharry, Ellen Walshe, Daniel Wiffen and McCartney on the list.

Corby was impressive in his execution of the race going from seventh after 50m, to sixth after 100m, he moved to third after 150m and closed out to claim silver in 2:10.50. The time a significant one for the 23-year-old who was exactly on his personal best set back in 2021.

Gold in the race went to Austria’s Luka Mladenovic in 2:10.08 with Ukraine’s Maksym Ovchinnikiv taking bronze in 2:10.77.

Speaking after the race Corby said ‘Obviously, I’m delighted with that race, I knew after this morning I had a bit more in me, I’d a quick finish and I just kind of tried to build on that this evening. I know a lot of the guys in the race, I know how they race, they know how I race, so just about playing to your advantages and your strengths putting the race together this evening, so I’m very very happy with it.’

The Limerick man returns to the pool on Saturday morning for the 100m Breaststroke.

U23 European Champion in the 200m Individual Medley Ellie McCartney added a bronze medal in this evening’s 100m Breaststroke Final. The 20-year-old, seeded fifth from the heats, took over a second off this mornings’ time of 1:08.70 to finish in 1:07.58 for her second medal in as many days.

Estonia’s Enelia Jefimova won the race in 1:06.30 while silver went to Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova in 1:07.50.

The National Centre Limerick swimmer spoke after the race ‘I’m quite happy with that swim, it’s nice to get my hands on the wall again and get another medal, the time was just a bit off my pb but that’s understandable when I’m not fully rested for this. It was key to control my emotions, especially after last night and then control it again tonight ahead of the 200m Breaststroke tomorrow.’

McCartney returns to the pool on Saturday for the heats of the 200m Breaststroke.

In Rome, Ellen Walshe was a clear winner of the 400m Individual Medley Final touching in 4:37.80, over three seconds ahead of her closest competitor, Italy’s Anna Pirovana (4:41.09).

In the 50m Breaststroke B Final Mona McSharry took the top spot in 30.89.

Walshe and McSharry will both be back in action on Saturday, Walshe doubles up with the 200m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley, while McSharry is entered in the 200m Breaststroke.

Back in Slovakia, National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin was agonisingly close to a medal in the 200m Butterfly. The Cork man swam a personal best of 1:57.34, his second pb of the day, to finish just outside the medals in fourth place, only one tenth of a second separating him from the bronze medallist Apostolos Siskos of Greece in 1:57.23.

The swim concludes Cassin’s Championships with focus now turning to the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in July.

In the 400m Freestyle Final, Cormac Rynn swam a personal best of 3:53.57 to finish eighth overall. 19-year-old Rynn, whose previous best was 3:53.70 in the event, is swimming his first year as a senior and will also be in action later this month at the World Aquatics Championships.

The Carrick on Shannon native will be back in the pool on Saturday for the heats of the 100m Freestyle.

Also, in action on Saturday morning in Slovakia for the final day of competition, Brandon Biss competes in the 100m Backstroke, Evan Bailey and Oisin Tebite join Rynn in the 100m Freestyle and Lottie Cullen and Maria Godden swim the 200m Backstroke.

Day 2 Results European U23 Championships

Men 400m Freestyle Cormac Rynn 3:54.10 (8^th) F 3:53.57 (8^th)

Women 100m Breaststroke Ellie McCartney 1:08.70 (5^th) F 1:07.58 (3^rd)

Men 50m Backstroke Brandon Biss 27.17 (36^th)

Men 50m Freestyle Evan Bailey 23.18 (35^th)

Oisin Tebite 23.17 (34^th)

Women 100m Backstroke Lottie Cullen 1:02.83 (12^th)

Maria Godden 1:02.57 (9^th)

Men 200m Breaststroke Eoin Corby 2:12.77 (3^rd) F 2:10.50 (2^nd)

Men 200m Butterfly Jack Cassin 1:57.69 (2^nd) F 1:57.34 (4^th)

Day 2 Results Sette Colli

Women 400m Individual Medley Ellen Walshe 4:50.32 (6^th) F 4:37.80 (1^st)