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McCartney and Bailey qualify for finals in Slovakia; McSharry and Fannon progress in Italy
IRISH SWIMMERS HAD strong showings on the opening day of competition at the European Aquatics U23 Championships in Slovakia, and at the Sette Colli International in Rome, with Ellie McCartney, Evan Bailey, Mona McSharry and Tom Fannon all advancing to finals.
McCartney is the fastest qualifier into the 200m Individual Medley Final at the U23 Championships having won her heat in 2:15.02 ahead of France's Bertille Cousson (2:15.25) and Italy's Giada Alzetta (2:15.74). The National Centre Limerick swimmer will take the centre lane for this evening's 6.27pm (Irish time) Final.
Evan Bailey impressed in the 200m Freestyle as he touched second in his heat in 1:47.48, just behind reigning Olympic Champion in the event, David Popovici of Romania (1:46.84). The Wexford man, who trains at National Centre Limerick, progresses fourth overall to the final at 5.24pm.
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In Rome, Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry won her 100m Breaststroke heat in 1:07.05 and qualifies second overall for the final at 6.04pm just behind Great Britain's Angharad Evans (1:06.83).
Olympic semi-finalist Tom Fannon was second in his heat of the 50m Freestyle clocking 22.21 behind Paris silver medallist Ben Proud, the fastest seed into the final, in 21.90. Fannon progresses fourth overall with the final taking to the blocks at 6.44pm.
Olympic finalist Ellen Walshe got the morning underway in Rome in the heats of the 200m Freestyle, coming home in 2:01.52. The Templeogue swimmer will be back in action on Friday in the 400m Individual Medley.
Back in Slovakia, Eoin Corby agonisingly missed out on the 50m Breaststroke Final after a swim-off for the final place. Corby, of National Centre Limerick, and Ukraine's Maksym Ovchinnikov had both touched in 28 seconds and eighth overall in the heats requiring a swim-off for the final place.
With Corby having swam with the Ireland 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay in between races, it was the Ukrainian who had the fresher legs and got the touch in the swim-off 27.99 to 28.14.
Also, in action on Thursday morning, Brandon Biss got the championships underway for Ireland in the 200m Backstroke, clocking 2:03.36.
Cormac Rynn touched in 1:47.77 in the 200m Freestyle, his third fastest time ever in the event.
Maria Godden (29.39) and Jack Cassin (53.05) had top 12 finishes in the 50m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly respectively, while Ireland's Mixed Medley Relay of Lottie Cullen, Cassin, Corby and Godden were 11th overall in 3:55.47.
