DANIELLE HILL HAS added a silver meal in the 100m backstroke to the gold medal she won over 50m earlier in the week at the European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade.
Hill clocked a brilliant 1:00.19 to finish second behind Adela Piskorska of Poland by just 0.40 of a second.
“It’s special after what has been a crazy night, we were just happy to get in the water and I knew tonight was going to be who wanted it more and put their hand on the wall first,” said Hill after the race. “Credit to Adela that she got her hand on the wall; I think it’s a massive personal best for her. Listen, it wasn’t to be tonight, but I can’t be disappointed with the silver medal.”
The penultimate day of racing was disrupted by lightning but Hill said she had experienced such conditions before.
“I’ve had to deal with that before out in the gold coast at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, it was the 100 Backstroke semi-final. It was a bit nervy at times, but I got in the water and got the job done.”
The 24-year is set to compete in the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke at the Paris Olympics, having also represented Ireland at the Tokyo Games.
“I’m super excited,” she added, “It’s kind of weird I don’t think anyone looks forward to training but at this stage I can’t wait to get back in the water. I’ve got things that need to be worked on but it’s a great place to be five weeks out.’
19-year-old Lottie Cullen was also competing in the same final, finishing fifth in a time of 1:01.03 win what is her first individual final at a senior international event.
Irish pair Shane Ryan and Clum Bain featured in the 50m Freestyle semi-final, with Ryan finishing in fourth to secure a place in the final in a time of 21.96. Bain clocked 22.12 to place ninth and fall just short of a place in the final.
Ellie McCartney closed out her excellent week at the European champions by taking eighth in the 200m Medley Final, in a new personal best time of 2:14.09.
Conor Ferguson booked his place in the 100m Backstroke final with a sixth-place finish, touching the wall in 54.12. However, the Loughborough swimmer will not context the final as he travels home on Sunday.
Nathan Wiffen was set to swim in the Men’s 1500 Freestyle but the weather forced the event to be postponed to tomorrow evening at 5.10pm.
Wiffen will also swim in the 400m Freestyle heat tomorrow along with Cormac Rynn while Shane Ryan swims the 50m Freestyle Final.
Meanwhile at the Sette Colli International in Rome, Ellen Walshe set a new Irish record in the 400m Individual Medley to win a gold medal. She led throughout the race and stormed to victory in 4:37.18.
Daniel Wiffen, who has just finished a training camp preparing for the Paris Olympics, took third in the 800m Freestyle in 7:46.83.
