Ireland’s Ellen Walshe Secures Spot in European Aquatics 200m Individual Medley Final
Ellen Walshe from Templeogue has secured her place in the European Aquatics 200m Individual Medley final. She performed exceptionally well, clocking a time of 2:06.63 in her semi-final. This achievement saw her nearly trim three seconds off her previous heat time.
Ellen Walshe’s Road to the Final
Walshe enters the final ranked third, trailing Britain’s Freya Colbert and Katie Shanahan by just 0.21 seconds. She expressed her determination, stating, “I was just looking for the top two to put myself in a nice position for tomorrow night… it’ll be a good fight.”
Other Competitors and Events
Walshe is also prepping for other significant events, including the 200m Butterfly. Competitor Ellie McCartney placed fifth in the 200m Breaststroke Final, finishing with a time of 2:19.90. Despite being the top seed after a semi-final time of 2:18.81, McCartney felt disappointment, saying, “My semi-final time would have got me a medal… I know I have more in me.”
- Gold: Germany’s Anna Elendt – 2:18.16
- Silver: Britain’s Angharad Evans – 2:18.90
- Bronze: Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova – 2:19.30
John Shortt’s Impressive Performance
In a notable performance, John Shortt secured seventh place in the 100m backstroke final, setting a new Irish record of 50.10 seconds. The 18-year-old swiftly followed up his 200m backstroke title and has set multiple records in the past four days, including a world junior record.
Shortt remarked, “I’d have liked to be under 50, but it’s been a massive week… I’ll give that record another crack at Irish Championships.”
- Gold: Italy’s Thomas Ceccon – 49.29
- Silver: France’s Mewen Tomac – 49.46
- Bronze: Britain’s Oliver Morgan – 49.68
Upcoming Events Schedule
The competition continues with several athletes set to participate on Saturday, including:
- Men’s 50m Backstroke: John Shortt
- Men’s 50m Breaststroke: Eoin Corby, Adam Bradley
- Women’s 50m Freestyle: Rosalie Phelan
- Men’s 50m Freestyle: Evan Bailey, Matthew Hamilton, Adam Bradley, Cormac Rynn
- Women’s 200m IM: Ellen Walshe
- Women’s 200m Butterfly: Ellen Walshe
- Men’s 200m Butterfly: Jack Cassin
The European Aquatics event in Poland will conclude on Sunday, showcasing the best of aquatic sports.
US Open Update
Meanwhile, in Texas, Mona McSharry has qualified second for the 100m breaststroke final at the Toyota US Open, posting a time of 1:07.07.
