McCartney wins gold at Euro Under-23 championship
Ellie McCartney took control of the race during the breaststroke leg [Getty Images]
Ellie McCartney won gold in the 200m individual medley at the European Under-23 Championships in Slovakia.
The 20-year-old from Enniskillen was third at the halfway stage of the race but surged into the lead during the breaststroke leg and ultimately finished in two minutes 12.5 seconds, 1.22 secs ahead of France's Bertille Cousson with Slovakia's Tamara Potocka in third.
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"I wasn't expecting it. Coming in I knew I was fastest seed but I knew the other girls had faster times in them, their PBs were quite a bit faster than mine," she said.
"You just get in, race who's there on the day and get your hand to the wall first and to get my hand on the wall first is really exciting."
The European Under-23 Championships were first held two years ago when Irish swimmers Daniel Wiffen, Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe all won gold.
McCartney will return to the pool on Friday morning in the heats of the 100m breaststroke.
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