DANIELLE HILL WAS among Ireland’s standout performers at the European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade today.
Hill won her 50m Backstroke semi-final in a time of 27.67 — just outside her national record of 27.64 — and established herself as the fastest qualifier for tomorrow night’s final.
The Larne star was also the fastest swimmer in this morning’s heats, clocking 27.98 in her first appearance of the championships, three weeks after her show-stopping performance at Olympic Trials in Dublin.
Lottie Cullen progressed to the semi-final alongside Hill in her first international meet, and she placed 13th overall in a time of 29.87. She returns to action in the 100m Backstroke on Friday.
Eoin Corby, meanwhile, has qualified for the 200m Breaststroke final. The National Centre (Dublin) man produced a big swim to clock 2:11.62 and advance to tomorrow night’s showdown in fifth place.
Darragh Greene missed out on reaching a second European final, after touching home in 2:13.72.
Elsewhere in the pool this evening, Shane Ryan, Nathan Wiffen and John Shortt all contested finals, while Ciara McGing was in the Women’s 10m Platform final at the Serbian Sports Institute.
Ryan finished seventh in the 100m Freestyle final in 48.76. The two-time Olympian will contest the 50m Free later in the competition.
Shortt claimed the same position in the 200m Backstroke. The 17-year-old was competing in his first international final, and he closed out his week with a time of 1:58.48.
And Wiffen was eighth in the 800m Freestyle in 8:03.74. He returns to action in the 1500m Free on Friday. McGing also placed eighth in the diving, with a total of 250.40.
This morning, Uiseann Cooke just missed out on progressing from the 200m Breaststroke heats alongside Corby and Greene, while Max McCusker was 23rd overall in the 100m Butterfly.
