6 days ago
Wexford swimmer Luca Power plays his part in Ireland's record-breaking performance
An exciting men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay, consisting of John Shortt, Denis O'Brien, Power, and Seán Donnellan, combined for a new Irish Junior record of 7:33.36.
The quartet broke the 2018 record of 7:33.73 set at the European Junior Championships and held by Robbie Powell, Cadan McCarthy, Finn McGeever and Jack McMillan. Both McGeever and McMillan went on to represent Ireland at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games in that same event.
Luca flew the Wexford flag proudly in Slovakia, with his first race taking place on Tuesday morning, when he touched in 1:54.12 in the 200m freestyle.
National Centre Limerick's Denis O'Brien was the fastest of the Irish swimmers in a personal best of 1:51.80, while Power's time was better than the other competitor from Ireland, Dolphin's Tadgh O'Brien (1:57.45).
Luca's last race was in the 400m freestyle heats on Sunday, when he clocked 4:09.43.
'That was tough, the first few races were tough, it's my first time racing outdoors and racing at an international level,' he said.
'The relay was great, I made personal best in my split yesterday, I was happy with that.'
Meanwhile, excitement is building as the 2025 Irish Summer National Age Group Championships draw near.
Set to take place from July 10–13 in Limerick, this prestigious event will bring together the best young swimmers from across the country to compete at the highest level.
Among the talented athletes representing the New Ross club are four exceptional junior swimmers: Seán Moran, Emersyn Scully, Katie Ryan and Paula Gallardo.
These young swimmers have demonstrated remarkable dedication, skill and determination in their journey to qualify, and now they're set to take on the national stage.
Each of them has emerged as a rising star within the club, showing promise and consistency through a season of hard training and competition.
They won't be the only names to watch, however. Other strong contenders from the club are hot on their heels, showing that the future is bright for our swim programme with a new generation of talent ready to make their mark.
We wish Seán, Emersyn, Katie and Paula the very best of luck as they head to Limerick to represent the club. No matter the outcome, their hard work and achievements already speak volumes – and the experience will surely fuel even greater success ahead.
