A sensational swim by John Shortt has won him gold in the 200 metres backstroke on day two of the European Short-Course Championships in Lublin, Poland, with the 18-year-old from Galway setting a world junior record to boot.
After twice breaking his own Irish record in qualifying, Shortt went into Wednesday evening’s final seeded number one, before producing another stunning performance to claim gold in 1:47.89.
Shortt took .13 of a second off Kliment Kolesnikov‘s former world and European junior record of 1:48.02, set by the Russian in December 2017, becoming the first junior swimmer in history to break 1:48 in the event.
Shortt timed his effort to absolute perfection, holding a little back at the start of the frantic eight-length race, as Mewen Tomac from France took the early lead.
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Still sitting second with 50m to go, Shortt made a tremendous last turn to overtake Tomac and storm to victory, his 1:47.89 improving on his winning semi-final time of 1:48.84. Tomac won silver in 1:48.62.
He also becomes the first Irish swimmer to set a world junior (aged up to 18 in the year of competition) ahead of turning 19 in February.
“Just really proud, I’d be a massive liar if I said I didn’t think I had that in me,” said Shortt. “I just felt something last night, where I just felt unbeatable, and now it’s just pride washing over me now. It’s just amazing.
“Tonight wasn’t about the times, tonight was about winning, that’s what these championships finals are for. It’s all about getting your hand on the wall first. But when that 1:47 popped up there, that was outrageous. So I’m pretty excited about that.
“I’ve won medals in the past before, at junior level, now I’m in with the big boys. I’m so passionate for this flag that’s wrapped around me. I’ve had some really good moments in my very short career so far, but this is a massive achievement, something to build on the next five or six years.”
This performance was coming. When Shortt won his second gold medal at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania last August, adding to the bronze medal also won, he single-handedly placed Ireland ninth on the final medal table.
There, after first winning the 100m backstroke gold, he won bronze in the 50m backstroke on Friday – the same day as he got his Leaving Cert results – then added another gold in the 200m backstroke, his favourite event.
Last year, Shortt also won the European Junior 200m backstroke title in Lithuania, and silver in 100m backstroke. That breakthrough in 2024 came after Shortt made the big commitment at age 16 to move away from his home in Roscam, near Oranmore in Galway, to join the Swim Ireland National Training Centre in Limerick, under the guidance of head coach John Szaranek.
He will also swim in the 100m backstroke later in the week.
Earlier on Wednesday Daniel Wiffen put himself right in contention for a second medal, this time after a superbly measured performance in the heats of the 1,500 metres freestyle.
After winning bronze in the 400m freestyle on Tuesday, Wiffen was back in the pool for one of his preferred events. After winning the 400m/800m/1,500m treble two years ago, the Armagh swimmer said he was determined to leave Lublin with at least one gold medal. That certainly looks on now.
Going in the last of four heats, Wiffen bided him time in the early stages of the 60-length race behind Germany’s Florian Wellbrock, the world record holder and Olympic open water swimming champion.
By halfway however Wiffen was in complete control, opening a three-second gap on Wellbrock and Sweden’s Victor Johansson with 400m to go.
Clearly easing off in the last 100m, Wiffen allowed Johansson to come through to take the win in 14:23.98, Wiffen clocking 14:24.38, and with that safely through to Thursday’s final (6:12pm Irish time). Wellbrock was third in 14:30.53.
“It was a good time, it hurt a little more than I wanted, but after last night’s final I got back quite late”, said Wiffen. “I’m pretty happy and we move on to tomorrow. I just parked last night, it was amazing and it’s a great start to the season – but I am a distance swimmer at heart, so the 1,500m is my favourite event.”
It’s just three months since the 24-year-old underwent surgery on his appendix, Wiffen also recently moving to a new training base in California. The Olympic 800m champion made his first big breakthrough in the 25-metre pool in Otopeni, Romania two years ago, winning the 400m-800m-1,500m treble.
He also became the first Irish swimmer to break a world record when taking almost three seconds off the 800m mark held for 15 years by Australia’s Grant Hackett, and his own mark of 7:20.46 might well come under threat later in the week when he goes in his third event.
Ellen Walshe also produced an excellent swim to book her place in the final of the 100m individual medley, finishing third in her semi-final in 58.19, again improving her Irish record of 58.80.
Evan Bailey also booked his place in the final of the 200m freestyle, finishing third in his semi-final in another Irish record of 1:42.01, improving on the 1:42.68 set in the heats earlier in the day. He goes into the final ranked seventh.
Under-23 European champion Ellie McCartney went in the 100m breaststroke final, where she finished eighth in 1:02.25.
The 4x50m medley relay just missed out on a place in their final, the quarter of Shortt, Eoin Corby, Walshe, and Rosalie Phelan also breaking the Irish record with their 1:40.54.
