Ireland could potentially have up to 10 swimmers competing in the World Swimming Championships in South Korea in July as the Irish Open meet, a worlds qualifier gala, came to a close at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.
Shane Ryan and Darragh Greene are through by right in their respective backstroke and breaststroke events, but Swim Ireland will be sending a host of relays to the event, such as the mens 100 freestyle and medley as well as a mixed relay squad.
Swimmers selected for the relays will be announced in the coming days, and many of those competitors will also be allowed to compete in individual events, even if they haven’t dipped under the required A qualifying standard.
The five day open meet concluded with the men’s 200 freestyle final which lived to its billing as the race of the night with Jordan Sloan just retaining his title holding off the fast finishing Jack McMillan from Bangor to win the gold medal in 1.48.40 beating McMillan to the touch by just 0.12 of a second with Robbie Powell taking the bronze medal.
Tallaght’s Brendan Hyland also qualified for the 200 free final, but pulled out to concentrate on the 100 Butterfly final and he duly won his third gold medal of the week in a fast 53.07 seconds just outside his own Irish senior record. Cillian Melly took silver with UCD’s John Higgins in bronze.
It was a good week for Hyland who not only landed three National titles, but who also broke two Irish senior records in the 200 Individual medley and 200 Butterfly.
In claiming a fourth title of the weekend, 17-year-old Ellen Walshe from Templeogue was an impressive winner of the women's 100 fly title in 1.00.44, just .21 of a second off the Irish senior record.
Hanna Miley Britain’s two time Olympian won her 5th gold medal of the week in the women’s 200 metre individual medley final in 2.15.96 while Orla Adams (NAC) finished in silver and took the Irish national title
The first gold medal of the night went to 16 year old Ards swimmer Amelia Kane who won the demanding womens 1500 metres freestyle in 17.42.49
Results
Women
1500m freestyle
1 Amelia Kane (Ards) 17:42.49
2 Ella Carroll (NCL) 18:10.53
3 Eimear Doyle (Waterford) 18:10.53
200m individual medley
1 Hanna Miley (NUAX) 2.15.96
2 Orla Adams (NAC) 2:17.83
3 Rebecca Reid (Ards) 2:19.24
100m butterfly
1 Ellen Walsh (Templeogue) 1:00.44
2 Lucy Thornton (Aer Lingus) 1:01.61
3 Emma Reid (Bangor) 1:02.30
200m backstroke
1 Sophie Maguire (Drogheda) 2:17.30
2 Maria Godden (Kilkenny) 2:19.73
3 Amelia Kane (Ards) 2:20.81.
Men
200m freestyle
1 Jordan Sloan (NCD) 1:48.44
2 Jack McMillan (Bangor) 1:48.56
3 Robert Powell (NCD) 1:49.65
100m butterfly
1 Brendan Hyland (NCD) 53.07 secs
2 Cillian Melly (NCL) 54.18
3 John Higgins (UCD) 55.37
200m backstroke
1 Conor Ferguson (NCD) 2:00.07
2 Seán Scannell (NCD) 2:04.40
3 Ethan Hansen (Trojan) 2:10.29
