Cork Swimming: Cork contenders show promise at Olympic trials

THE Irish Open Swimming Championships and Olympic Trials, held at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin, is a pivotal event in the Irish swimming calendar. 

This prestigious competition not only showcases the best of Irish swimming talent but also serves as a crucial stepping stone for athletes aspiring to represent Ireland at the Paris Olympic Games 2024. Consideration times for European Championships were also targeted.

Double World Champion and World Record holder, Daniel Wiffen was in action across the five-day competition. Wiffen had pre-qualified for the Olympics but needed to prove race fitness at this meet. He competed alongside his twin Nathan, who was hoping to join his brother in Paris. 

Wiffen swam a time, shy of his Irish Record, but within the Olympic ‘A’ time in the heats of the 800m freestyle. The two brothers were in adjacent lanes in the final on the following evening, and although Nathan beat his brother in that final, he unfortunately fell short of the Olympic qualification time.

Ellen Walshe had also pre-qualified in the 200m IM and proved her fitness in the event with a morning swim 2:11.95. Walshe had swam an Olympic QT in the 400m IM at the Leinster Championships earlier in the month, but as it was not a qualification event, she needed to match that time again at these championships.

That she did, in style, on the final morning with a 4:38.05, just shy of her Irish Senior Record 4:37.94. Walshe came agonisingly close to a third Olympic swim when she missed the QT by 0.15 seconds in the 100m butterfly on the penultimate evening.

Danielle Hill was the darling on the first evening, when she booked her ticket to Paris with a 59.11 at 100m backstroke. She then reaffirmed her Olympic standing with a second qualification when she went two-hundredths of a second under the Olympic standard with a 24.68 in the 50m freestyle.

The Echo Sports Award winner, Isabel Kidney saved her best performance for the final evening when she touched first in an exciting sprint 50m breaststroke final which saw the top three all sub 33 seconds. Kidney 32.31, Ava Jones, Portmarnock 32.37 and Eimear Doyle, National Centre Limerick in third with 32.52. Olympian Mona McSharry was not in action at this meet due to commitments in the States. Kidney also competed in the ‘A’ finals at 100m breast and 50m freestyle and won the ‘B’ final at 200m IM 2:24.90.

Cork swimmer, Izzy McGrath, SWSC had a great championship. She placed 3rd in the 100m butterfly final 1:04.45. The event was won by Olympian Ellen Walshe, who narrowly missed out on a 3rd Olympic QT when she stopped the clock on 58.07. McGrath narrowly missed out on a second bronze on the final evening when she placed 4th at 50m backstroke 30.26, behind Lottie Cullen Swim Belfast 29.43. McGrath placed 6th in the ‘A’ final at 50m butterfly and was 4th in the ‘B’ final at 100m backstroke.

A third lady from SWSC to feature on the podium was Eva Harrington who picked up bronze in the sprint 50m freestyle on the final evening 26.78. Harrington lost out agonisingly on the silver medal by just three-hundredths of a second to Jena MacDougald, UCD 26.75. The event was won by Grace Davidson, Ards 26.02. Harrington also contested the ‘A’ final at 100m freestyle where she placed 8th.

Sean Bugler, SWSC placed 3rd in the 1,500m freestyle 16:41.50. Olympian and World Champion, Daniel Wiffen opted not to swim the event as he had affirmed his race fitness in the 800m freestyle earlier in the week. But his twin, Nathan was aiming to secure an Olympic QT in the event and was on target to do so up to the midway point, when he started to slow slightly. 

Spectators could see from the scoreboard that the target was slipping away from him. He went on to win the event 15:06.48 (OQT 15:00.99) Denis O’Brien, Limerick placed 2nd 16:22.96. Bugler placed 4th in the 800m freestyle behind the Wiffen twins and O’Brien.

Dmytro Cherkasov, Dolphin was first home in the sprint 50m breaststroke 29.01 on the final evening. He was joined in that ‘A’ final by club-mates Senan Harvey 5th and Sasha Lychuk in 9th. Ricky Fane placed 5th in the ‘B’ final.