Latest news with #NationalCentreLimerick
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
McCartney prepares for World Aquatics Championships in Singapore
Enniskillen's Ellie McCartney has been selected to represent Ireland at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, joining an impressive 12-strong team that includes Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen and fellow Olympic medallist Mona McSharry. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the 20-year-old National Centre Limerick swimmer, who earned her place on the team following her outstanding performances at the Irish Open Championships where she set a championship record in the 200m Breaststroke with a time of 2:24.35. McCartney joins an exciting blend of experienced athletes and emerging talent, with Swim Ireland naming several promising young swimmers alongside established stars like European Champion Danielle Hill and Olympic semi-finalist Tom Fannon. The team will be looking to build on Ireland's historic three-medal haul from the Paris Olympics. McCartney's preparation for Singapore continued with impressive performances at the prestigious Mare Nostrum Swim Tour, competing across venues in Barcelona and Canet-en-Roussillon. The international competition provided crucial race experience against world-class opposition ahead of the World Championships. In her first outing, McCartney qualified to both the 100m Breaststroke B Final (1:08.05) and 200m Individual Medley B Final (2:14.94), using the competition as valuable preparation for her upcoming international commitments. Her standout performance came in the 200m Breaststroke, where she demonstrated remarkable improvement throughout the competition. After clocking 2:28.18 in the heats, McCartney returned for the A final and delivered a stunning 2:25.46, narrowly missing the podium in fourth place but showing the kind of form that earned her World Championship selection. The final leg of the Mare Nostrum tour saw McCartney continue to excel. She qualified for the 100m Breaststroke A Final, recording 1:08.44 to finish sixth in a highly competitive field. Her crowning achievement came in the 200m Breaststroke Final, where McCartney claimed bronze with a time of 2:24.55, finishing just 0.3 seconds behind silver. Remarkably, the final featured at least three Olympians and a Commonwealth swimmer, underlining the quality of competition McCartney is now competing against at the highest level. McCartney's selection for the World Championships caps off a remarkable rise that has seen her become Ireland's second-fastest ever female breaststroke swimmer in both the 100m and 200m events. Her times now place her in the world's top twenty-five rankings for 2025 in the 200m Breaststroke. The busy summer schedule ahead includes the European Aquatics U23 Championships, where McCartney will look to build further on her recent success before heading to Singapore for the World Championships. Her progression from promising junior to world-class competitor has been remarkable, and she enters these major competitions with genuine medal prospects. Team Ireland's World Championships squad reflects the current strength of Irish swimming, with athletes spanning different generations and specialities. As Daniel Wiffen looks to defend his 800m and 1500m Freestyle world titles won in Doha 2024, McCartney represents the exciting future of Irish swimming on the world stage. The continued support from local sponsors Encirc and Balcas, as well as Sport NI & Sport Ireland, has been instrumental in McCartney's development, enabling her to compete at this elite level and represent both her local community and Ireland with distinction.
Irish Independent
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Evan Bailey crowns fruitful week with second freestyle swimming gold medal
The New Ross native and National Centre Limerick performer had a best time of 49.15 and was the only swimmer under 50 seconds, with Larne's Thomas Leggett home in 50.78 for silver and National Centre Limerick's Cormac Rynn winning bronze in 50.81. Bailey had ensured he was the top seed after a personal best swim of 49.17. The 20-year-old finished ahead of three-time Olympian and Irish record holder in the event Shane Ryan. Ryan clocked 49.49 with his best and Irish record a 48.39 from Olympic trials in 2024. There was a third-place finish for Emmet Cousins of New Ross in the open 400m individual medley final in 4:43.72, behind Banbridge's Tom Wilkinson who topped the podium in 4:37.41, and Phelim Hanley (Blackrock) in a European Juniors consideration time of 4:39.77. Cousins had earlier taken silver in the 200m backstroke final in 2:04.80, with Swim Belfast's Brandon Biss winning his first national title in 2:01.16 while bronze went to Bangor's Brydan Byrne in 2:04.81. Eva Bayley of New Ross collected bronze in the 100m butterfly final in 1:03.89, with Alana Burns-Atkin claiming her second gold medal of the week. The National Centre Ulster swimmer swam a personal best 1:00.70 to add to the 200m butterfly title she won on Tuesday night. Silver went to National Centre Limerick's Lucy O'Brien in 1:02.49.
