Shortt Claims Top Seed for Backstroke Final in Another Irish Record and McCartney Through to Breaststroke Final
Daniel Wiffen is back on an international podium for the first time since the Paris Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in the 400m Freestyle Final, John Shortt set another Irish Record to claim the centre lane for Wednesday’s 200m Backstroke Final, while Ellie McCartney advanced to the 100m Breaststroke Final on the opening night of racing at the European Aquatics Championships (25m) in Lublin, Poland.
Daniel Wiffen put in an outstanding swim in the 400m Freestyle Final, sitting with the pack for the first 100m, he then made his move and led the race up to 300m, he was overtaken by Great Britain’s Jack McMillan, who won gold, at that point, while Olympic Champion in the 400m Freestyle Lucas Martens of Germany, just went ahead of Wiffen in the last 50 metres for silver.
Wiffen’s time of 3:37.02 was two hundredths of a second faster than his heat swim of 3:37.04. McMillan won gold in 3:36.33 with Martens claiming the silver in 3:36.51.
A delighted Wiffen said ‘I’m going to say I’m really happy, you know taking that long out of the water and having that surgery process and then having to come back and be at my best again and all the stuff towards moving to California. It’s amazing to be back on the podium, I’m just a little bit gutted because I kind of died a bit, because I wanted it, I thought we may as well go for the World Record because we were so close. You know it was a great race, two Northern Irishmen on the podium.’
Looking back on a turbulent year, Wiffen commented ‘It’s amazing actually, all the stuff that’s happened, you know, you get that feeling when you’ve had surgery, am I ever going to get back to my best, and sure I was like a second over (my pb) then, but to be on the podium just gives me another boost in training. I actually don’t mind a bronze medal, I’ve got fourth place a couple of times and bronze is way nicer, but I’m so happy’.
The 24-year-old will be back in action on Wednesday in the heats of the 1500m Freestyle.
John Shortt had the swim of his life in the 200m Backstroke and will be the top seed for Wednesday’s Final. The 18-year-old, still a junior, took over a second off the Irish Senior and Junior Record of 1:50.65 that he had set this morning, clocking 1:48.84, he was the only swimmer across the two semi-finals to dip below 1 minute 49 seconds.
The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer spoke after the race ‘I’m shattered after that, it was a huge swim, just missing out on 1:49 and going straight to 1:48, you can’t be angry at that, I’m really excited for tomorrow evening to see how we go there.’
Commenting on his shock at the end of the race Shortt added ‘I just wanted to be 1:49.9, to be 1:48.8 I can’t help but not be surprised with that, but also just really happy you know, I’m coming back into a nice bit of form now, we’re building nicely into the rest of the week and then long course season is soon enough.’
Ellie McCartney swam a huge personal best, dipping under 65 seconds for the first time in 1:04.75, to make the Final of the 100m Breaststroke. The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer, swimming in the first semi-final, was fifth and advances eighth overall to the Final.
Speaking after the race she said ‘I’m really happy with the time and I’m really happy as I’ve been struggling with the event this year, so to get it right, in the semi-finals, in order to make the Final, I’m really happy with it. I just love getting in and racing girls that are faster than me so I can chase them, so I think that really pushes me on and it helps to get pbs at the right time.’
McCartney will be back in the pool on Wednesday morning for the 100m Individual Medley where she will be joined by Ellen Walshe.
Also, in action on Wednesday, Evan Bailey, Jack Cassin, Cormac Rynn and Denis O’Brien return for the heats of the 200m Freestyle, while Ireland will compete in the 4x50m Medley Relay.
Day 1 Results (Heats/Finals) – Tuesday 2nd December
| Men 400m Freestyle | Daniel Wiffen | H 3:37.04 (1st) | F 3:37.02 (3rd) | |
| Cormac Rynn | H 3:44.50 (32nd) PB | |||
| Denis O’Brien | H 3:52.91 (53rd) | |||
| Women 50m Butterfly | Ellen Walshe | H 25.86 (22nd) | ||
| Rosalie Phelan | H 26.88 (29th) PB | |||
| Men 50m Butterfly | Jack Cassin | H 23.34 (33rd) PB | ||
| Evan Bailey | H 23.73 (41st) | |||
| Matthew Hamilton | H 23.91 (44th) PB | |||
| Women 100m Breaststroke | Ellie McCartney | H 1:05.54 (9th) PB | SF 1:04.75 (8th) | |
| Men 100m Breaststroke | Eoin Corby | H 58.34 (29th) PB | ||
| Adam Bradley | H 59.54 (48th) PB | |||
| Men 200m Backstroke | John Shortt | H 1:50.65 (4th) ISR | SF 1:48.84 (1st) |
Day 2 Heats Schedule – Wednesday 3rd December
| Women 100m IM | Ellen Walshe, Ellie McCartney | |
| Men 200m Freestyle | Evan Bailey, Cormac Rynn, Jack Cassin, Denis O’Brien | |
| Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay | Ireland | |
| Men 1500m Freestyle | Daniel Wiffen | |
| Women 100m Breaststroke Final | Ellie McCartney | |
| Men 200m Backstroke Final | John Shortt |
