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The Official Swimming Thread

John Shortt quietly set new 100m and 200m backstroke NRs over the weekend in Paris.
53.37 and 1:56.07

As usual, the 200 performance is the the more impressive. That number is very close to Olympic final time - not bad for a lad turning 19 this year.
 
El Guapo said:
Interesting stuff.


www.irishexaminer.com

Olympic champ Daniel Wiffen may swap California training base for Dublin

The 24-year old made the switch from his long-time base in Loughborough University in the UK to Cal Berkeley, where his twin brother Nathan also swims, last year
www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com
Click to expand...
Yep, as usual, he's not being shy about it or keeping his cards to his chest. This gala is a good reckoner for where all the elite swimmers are at - they've been tipping away at various galas around Europe / US with reasonable levels of success but this brings them into sharper focus - all in one gala and across four days.
Wiffen just doesn't get the level of oppo he needs racing in an Irish pool (LOL, now that my eldest lad has retired ;) ), so I don't know that he's going to get a definite answer to the "should I move home from California?" question. Much more relevant is his longstanding relationship with Andy Reid - that's a far stronger pointer to where he'll end up. Personally, I think he won't get the push in training here that he'd get in the States, or even on the UK mainland.

Either way, there's some top racing in store - as well as the Wiffen brothers, you've got Ellen Walshe, Mona McSharry, Evan Bailey, John Shortt, Eoin Corby, Jack Cassin, Ellie McCartney and a lot more elites going to the blocks in Bangor. Ellen Walshe raced at our Ellen Cassidy memorial gala last week and is in very good shape - she almost broke Melanie Nocher's longstanding 200m backstroke record - long regarded as one of the toughest Irish records to break. IMO Walshe get pretty much no credit for making two Olympic finals in Paris - that's an outstanding achievement at a single games. McSharry is talking a good game - although in her event, fractions of a second determine everything. John Shortt broke two Irish records in Paris a couple of weeks ago and I was in the arena to see him go 21.73 in the opening leg of the 4 X 50 at the intervarsities last Saturday. That was short course, but is still a sizzling time for a backstroker.

Nathan Wiffen will be in the spotlight too. He will be going for Commonwealth games selection and it will be interesting to see if he can register a significant time.

All in all, it's going to be a great week of swimming.
 
No big shocks today - Bailey scored a nice PB on his return from the Longhorns and Grace Davison motored to a new Irish record this morning - both times are Euro Q.

Wiffen (Daniel notched a decent 14:51 in the 1500 free - defo took the foot off the pedal after 1,000m but still not that far off his Olympic form. Nathan went 15:08, which is over 7 seconds inside the condsideration time for the Commonwealth Games and the Euros so his year is mapped out now too.

Ellen Walshe and Jack Cassin also hit their Euro Q times in winning their finals this evening.
 
Tomorrow
  • Ellen Walshe should EuroQ in the 400IM
  • Phelim Hanley from Cork (Blackrock) has a real shot at the men's 400IM title. He won't EuroQ but at only 17, and after recovering from torn shoulder ligaments sustained playing rogger in December, he is moving in the right direction
  • Mona McSharry makes her first appearance in the 50 Brs, as does Corby in the men's event
  • Danielle Hill wil be favoured in the 100 back but will need to come down to 55 seconds to make the boat to Scotland
  • The main man, John Shortt, goes in the 100 back - he's coming in on an LC SB of 53 high so is already inside the EuroQ time and just needs to nail that again tomorrow
 
Quite a night in Bangor - EuroQs all over the shop:
- Ellen Walshe with a solid swim to win 400 IM - looks on track for a good Euros
- Liam Custer lived up to top seed billing to take the men’s 400 IM . Cork’s Phelim Hanley, tipped here last night, raced out of his skin but couldn’t hold the U.S.-based operator. Hanley got the junior Euro Q time though - outstanding swim - and Custer got the senior time
- Lottie Cullen wasn’t fancied to win the 100 back but she did - and also Euro and Commonwealth Q’d
-Jack Kelly has burst onto the scene and really shaken up the breaststroke - smashed the Irish record tonight and on the plane to the Euros
-Mona took the female title and makes the team
-Rosalie Phelan qualified for Paris in the 50 Fly in a championship record
-Best show of the night was reserved for last - John Shortt scorched to a 53.17 in the 100 backstroke - yet another Irish record and may well contend in this event in Paris. His time would have been Top 12 at the Olympics so he’s getting there. The 200 is his main event but every 100 he enters brings him closer to the top in the shorter event too

Good times and a great night for Andy Reid too - he will now definitely have to upgrade the team transport in Paris from a minibus to something more significant
 
Didn't get a proper look at today's card yet but two highlights for sure
  • Mona McSharry vs Ellie McCartney - has McCartney evolved into a threat?
  • Major brodeo in the 200 F/S as all the big guns go for it - including the Wiffen brothers, who are looking for times to put them in contention for the Nordie Commonwealth games 4 X 200 relay
 
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