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The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘I knew I had it in me' – Irish teen star dreaming of precious memories at 2028 Olympics after missing out on Paris
JOHN SHORTT has taken to reading about someone's obsession with something 'precious' to avoid the same thing happening to him. The 18-year-old national 200m backstroke record-holder is one of Ireland's hopes to be Lord of the Rings at the LA Olympics in 2028. 3 Swimmer John Shortt poses for a portrait during an OFI Media Conference at the Olympic House on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile 3 John Shortt celebrates swimming a national record in the men's 200m backstroke during day three of the Irish Open Swimming Championships Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile But he had a couple of accursed years as he came up short in his quest to go the Shortt secured bronze in the final of the 200m backstroke at the European Aquatics Junior Championships in Slovakia last night in a time of 1:58.45, claiming Ireland's first medal in Samorin. And the National Centre Limerick swimmer told SunSport: 'I probably put a bit too much pressure on myself to get to Paris, because I knew I had it in me. 'I didn't enjoy training and racing as much as I should have because everything was based around this one meet, to try to get this time. Read More on Olympics 'So it was, 'Oh that training session, it wasn't Olympic standard, that race , that won't get me to the Olympics'. 'There was a lot of mental stuff and when I got to the trials , I fell apart because I couldn't handle the mental pressure I put on myself.' At those trials at the National Aquatic Centre, he swam an Irish record of 1:57.90 — just four-tenths of a second outside the Olympic qualifying time. Shortt continued: 'The time itself was quite good, it was very good, I supposed I'm referring to mentally. Most read in Other Sports 'I felt bad for my dad more than anything else. He's generally the one who brings me to competitions , staying in hotels and stuff. 'We'd never really had this level of a problem but when we got there, I just wasn't myself at all. That was a strange competition.' Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley arrives at Wimbledon But faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens and the 14 months since have seen Shortt make some tweaks. He thinks about the mental side more as he takes the straight road from juniors to seniors. He explained: 'Training is quite . . . not easy, it's so physical and you are doing 5km or 6km a session. But you can get through it. 'But once you get to a competition, it's the complete opposite. You're waiting around all day to swim a race that is less than two minutes long, some even less than 22 seconds long. 'You're waiting. None of it is physical. It's how you talk to yourself. 'I learned a massive lesson last year and have brought a lot of it into this season. Just keep it more light-hearted, not to be as serious — just having more fun.' That is where 'precious' comes in. Shortt added: 'Reading books is quite good. I'll sound like such a nerd but I've started reading Lord of the Rings. 'One of the boys recommended it. I'd seen the movies — we're all secretly nerds — and I've just started reading the books just before bed. 'I've realised, like everybody, I'm spending too much time on the phone, so a half-hour before bed, I put the phone on charge and read a few pages. 'I'm getting through it very slowly. nice to go to a place where you're reading about wizards and all sorts of stuff.' AMERICAN DREAM The quest is He said: 'It was extremely difficult, especially for my mam. It's not normal, sending your kid away that young. But I didn't do it all by myself, I was in digs, living with a few other college 'The decision to go to Limerick when I did was a no-brainer really. My old club, Bluefin in Galway — it was amazing, I loved it — but it would have been very hard to keep progressing. 'It was a small pool , a 20-metre pool. I needed to be with the top guys, it was an easy decision.' And it has paid off for the 6ft 4in backstroke specialist. The Galway man got his PB down to 1:56.61 last April at the He said: 'When I was 16 I was, 'I'm swimming really good here'. I wasn't amazing but it was good for that time. 'And then it's hard to know how do I keep moving because I feel I'm doing brilliant at the minute. But then you naturally keep improving. 'And I suppose I didn't know if this time it was possible until April 23 when we did World Championship trials and I'd gone sub-two minutes in the 200 back. 'That was kind of what kick-started that I could get to this level. We worked really hard to get to this point. There's still more improving. There's never a perfect swimmer. You can keep getting better.' That has been shown as by lowering his time last April, he smashed his Irish senior and junior record, the championship record and was under the qualification time for this month's World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Being Lord of the Rings looks closer and closer by the day. 3 John Shortt of National Centre Limerick, Bluefin, competes in the men's 200m backstroke during day three of the Irish Open Swimming Championships Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
The Irish Sun
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Irish rower Fiona Murtagh hails coach for talking her into ‘new era I never foresaw' after bitter Olympics heartbreak
FIONA MURTAGH knew after her Paris woe that she needed some time alone — she just never expected it to be in a boat. The 29-year-old is in Lucerne this weekend for the World Rowing Cup as one to beat after 2 Rower Fiona Murtagh poses for a portrait during an OFI Media Conference Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile 2 Fiona Murtagh in action during the Women's Single Sculls A Final at the 2025 European Rowing Championships Credit: Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile Murtagh — who won her heat yesterday to qualify for the semi-final in Switzerland — claimed Olympic bronze as part of the coxless fours in Tokyo but is now bringing home precious metals in the single sculls. She told SunSport: 'It's a new chapter that I never foresaw. I didn't see it happening. I used to actively avoid being in a single. 'If they ever asked if I'd like to go out in a single, I would say 'No!' ' And it was never an ambition of hers either — despite watching former Irish world champion Sanita Puspure shine on the biggest stage. Read More on Olympics She said: 'It was just never a strength of mine. I'd look at Sanita and it would be, 'Fair play girl! But not for me!' And now, here we are. It's funny how things work out.' The agony of the The pair went to Vaires-sur-Marne among the favourites having medalled in every event in the build-up. But their form simply deserted them on the day. Most read in Other Sports Murtagh said: 'It was just massively disappointing, especially after having such a good season going into it. 'We were going from strength to strength and it just didn't happen. We don't know why it didn't happen.' I worked late shifts at a Land Rover factory but hated it so much it inspired my Olympic dream, says Galal Yafai next . And getting back in the water was not appealing to the Galwegian. But Rowing Ireland head coach Dominic Casey had different ideas and reckoned the solitude of a solo rower was what Murtagh needed. Murtagh explained: 'It was difficult post-Paris. But I'm thankful to my support network, the girls, my family and the people around me who brought me through it. 'After two Olympic cycles, I just felt so tired and I didn't know what to do with it anymore, or what I could give. 'But I have to credit Dominic for giving me the space , being incredibly patient and staying firm. 'I asked to get out of the single and he was, 'No, you're sticking to it'. He could see it. 'He had the vision and could see it long before I did.' 'HARDEST PART' And it meant a lot of solitude. Murtagh was not used to being in a boat on her own at the National Rowing Centre in Farran, Co Cork . She said: 'That was the hardest part of it, doing the session on your own. Even if there was someone else on the water, a faster boat, or some of the lads, anyone . . . doing intensity sessions completely solo at 7am, you're like, 'What am I doing?' 'It was like a vulnerable space. I didn't want to do it because I didn't think I had the skills to be honest. 'But I needed to come face to face with how I am as an athlete and what am I good at, what do I need to improve on and how can I improve that? 'Being in the single helped answer those questions.' The evidence was soon there as the competitiveness that was always in her came to the fore. The rookie single sculler quickly proved she is one of the best in Europe . 'We may not be rowing together but we're still in tandem!' She said: 'I didn't know what I was going to do after Paris and I didn't expect the single to be the answer to it. But I'm glad that it was. 'I'm really enjoying the journey of it all and it's just giving me that new freshness. 'It's feels almost like day one. I'm competitive anyway. 'Even if I go in saying, 'I'll see what it's like', I'll quickly be like, 'I want a medal'. 'It was great, even at the Europeans, but there is so much that I can still grow.' And while she is now alone in a boat, it is very different on dry land. Her Tokyo WhatsApp group is still going strong with support for her new solo pursuit. And her Paris partner Keogh is seen as much as if they were still on the water together. Murtagh said: 'I've started working in JP Morgan — there is an athletes programme through Sport Ireland. 'Aifric is there too. We haven't left each other's lives. 'Even the day I was at the Europeans and won silver, Aifric did the women's mini marathon and had her medal from the 10k. 'We Facetimed after I was on the podium so I'm there with my silver medal around my neck from the Europeans and she had her medal. 'We may not be rowing together but we're still in tandem!'
