Cork swimmers make a splash at Community Games in Castlebar
Some of the Cork swimmers who participated at the National Finals of the Community Games in Castlebar. Picture: Katrina Gardiner.
THE National Swimming Finals of the Community Games were held in Castlebar recently.
Children qualify through their County finals to qualify for the National Finals. Age categories are 10 & Under, 12 & Under, 14 & Under and 16 & Under. All categories swim 50m except for the 10 & Under, who compete over 25m. Squad relays are contested in the 16 & Under and 12 & Under categories.
Aoife Gardiner was the first to medal for Cork. She was the comfortable victor in the 14 & Under 50m backstroke 31.68. The battle for the remaining places saw Lena Radomska, Longford touch for 2nd place 34.84, marginally ahead of Hannah Cassidy, Meath 35.03.
Nine-year-old Alexandra Egar won the 25m freestyle with 16.79. This was a 0.54 second improvement on her preliminary swim. Aoife Cullinan, Sligo 17.40 and Ruby Bailey, Waterford 17:60 completed the podium. Alexandra’s older brother William was the silver medallist in the 12 & Under 50m freestyle 33.04.
Finn Read also collected a silver medal in the 12 & Under 50m backstroke, touching on 40.83. Jack O’Sullivan collected silver in the senior 50m breaststroke with 35.66.
Lev Lobanets collected bronze at the 14& Under 50m freestyle 29.28. Cian O’Sullivan had to pull on all his reserves to hold off the chasing Cian Anderson, Donegal 40.37 to claim bronze in the 50m backstroke 40.12. His time was over a second faster than his preliminary swim 41.21.
They had two seconds to spare 1:07.30 over their nearest rivals, the team from Clare with Sligo in third place.
The girls quartet of Una Casey, Claire Bradley, Cara Buckley and Doireann Kerr placed 8th overall.
The Community Games award Pewter medals to athletes who finish in 4th place. Shauna Murphy placed 4th in the 16 & Under 50m breaststroke 38.18 and Clodagh Martin placed 4th in the 14 & Under 50m breaststroke, touching on 42.08.
Others to qualify through the preliminaries for a place in the final include Mia Dowling O’Mahony who placed 6th in the 16 & Under 50m butterfly 33.12. David Killian placed 8th in the 50m freestyle 33.44 and Culann Read also placed 8th in the 50m butterfly 33.51. Ethan Evison placed 8th in a very exciting 25m freestyle in the 10 & Under final.
Nothing could separate the top two, Mark Horodetskyy, Offaly and Evin Casey, Monaghan who both stopped the clock on 17.25 for joint first. Edvardos Janisionis placed 6th in the 25m backstroke, in another exciting final which saw Bernard Doherty, Donegal and Rob Sheedy, Clare tie on 21.75 for joint 2nd place. The event was won by Rian Lynch, Monaghan on 19.25. Rebecca Sheehan placed 6th in the girls 25m backstroke 23.43.
Others who qualified for the National Finals, but who failed to progress from the preliminaries to the finals, included: Claire Bradley and Una Casey in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke in the 12 & Under category. Lucy O’Mahony, Emilia Helka and Rory O’Sullivan in the 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke, in the 14 & Under category.
The Community Games promotes healthy active lifestyles, well-being, diversity and inclusion for children, families and communities throughout the Republic of Ireland. They believe every child has the right to enjoy a pastime with their friends or on their own in a safe and friendly environment, this may be on a football pitch, a stage or at a chess board... Community Games offers something for everyone."
Many Irish sporting stars have roots in the Community Games. Some of our Cork stars include, Sonia O’Sullivan, Ronan O’Gara and Denis Irwin. In an interview in 2013, Sonia said “That’s where I set my early targets and goals for future years, by looking up athletes I knew and the times they ran at the Community Games finals each year before me”.
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