ELLEN WALSHE HAS progressed to her third final of the week at the World Aquatic Swimming Championships in Budapest, while Friday’s bronze medal winner in the 50m Backstroke, Shane Ryan, set a new Irish record in the 50m Freestyle heats to advance to the semi-finals.
Walshe, who herself has set eight new Irish standards in Hungary this week, will double up on Saturday evening as she competes in both the 100m Butterfly and 400m Individual Medley deciders. The Templeogue woman was the third fastest qualifier overall for the Butterfly final and sealed a third-placed finish in her IM heat on Saturday morning, finishing as the fifth seed overall with a time of 4:29.78.
Walshe, 23, took silver in the 400m Individual Medley at the 2021 Worlds.
“I think this morning was just to be comfortable to get back,” she said. “I’ve been in this final before. It’s exciting. I think the two finals are going to be tough tonight so whatever I have left is whatever I have left. I’m hurting now and I think to finish on a 400m IM is pretty tough — it felt tough this morning — but I know after doing it once this morning that it’ll be the last race tonight.
“It’s been a great meet and it’s been exciting.”
Walshe will have just under an hour’s recovery between her finals with the 100m Butterfly final due to start at 4:32pm Irish time the 400m Individual Medley showpiece at 5:30pm.
Meanwhile, having won Ireland’s fourth ever World Aquatics short course medal and his first Worlds medal in six years on Friday night, Shane Ryan returned for the 50m Freestyle heats where he set a new Irish Record of 21.07, making him Ireland’s fastest ever swimmer in the short course pool.
Advertisement
The National Centre Dublin swimmer broke Tom Fannon’s Irish Record of 21.21 from 2023.
Ryan was sixth in his heat and advanced in 14th place overall having swum next to a new world record in the event from the Cayman Island’s Jordan Crooks (20.08).
“I didn’t feel great at all this morning, but it’s a PB,” Ryan said. “But I know what I’m capable of, I can be a bit faster on that and yeah, just go back, warm down, have a bit of fun tonight. A PB, a national record, we move forward.
“I’m a big believer in trying to, you know, not sack it off and you have to earn your spot, and you have to give it 100% no matter how your body is feeling and try to represent the country the best you can, and that’s what I did this morning.
“Despite yesterday, you have to put your head back in place, stay in your lane and try to go fast.”
Previous national record holder Tom Fannon, also competing in the event, was just off that personal best of 21.21, finishing in 21.25 for a 17th-placed finish overall. While Fannon narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-finals, he’ll be first reserve.
Fannon, a teammate of Ryan’s at National Centre Dublin, said: “It’s ok. Coming off the back of the Olympics, the gameplan coming into this wasn’t necessarily to fully taper, so to try and expect a PB with a rest but not a full taper is difficult.
“Also short course, I always feel good swimming, then there’s a turn and it just stops my momentum, so I’m happy with it. Hopefully someone pulls out and I get to swim it again.”
In the Women’s 50m Freestyle, Danielle Hill closed out her championships with a time of 24.35, well outside her Irish record of 24.00. Hill is the second reserve for this evening’s semi-finals.
“It’s been a lot of learning, a lot of near misses but I’ve been through this exact process I don’t know how many times and I’m in a much better place mentally”, Hill said, “so it’s just about going back and doing more work. I think that’s the harsh reality of it all: I haven’t done enough work and that’s absolutely fine.
“You know, the priority this year is actually not swimming. I went back to university and I’m studying a Masters which is quite full-on. I just sat an exam yesterday morning. From the outside looking in, no one sees that, so it’s been tough over the last six months trying to manage going back to school again.
“But listen, I’m happy. I love where I’m at in my swimming, I’m enjoying it, and I think that’s the main priority moving forward but most definitely can look forward to building into long course season.”
In the Men’s 400m Individual Medley, Jack Cassin swam 4:12.96, just outside his best time of 4:11.87, as he signed off from his first ever Worlds.
Niamh Coyne and Eoin Corby both closed out their championships in the 50m Breaststroke Heats. Coyne clocked 31.48 while Corby was home in 27.44.
Later today, Ryan and Walshe will be joined in action by Nathan Wiffen who swims the fastest heat of the 800m Freestyle. Wiffen will be competing in the event in which his brother Daniel is the world record holder from last year’s European Championships.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Walshe reaches third final of week, Ryan sets new Irish record to seal semi berth
ELLEN WALSHE HAS progressed to her third final of the week at the World Aquatic Swimming Championships in Budapest, while Friday’s bronze medal winner in the 50m Backstroke, Shane Ryan, set a new Irish record in the 50m Freestyle heats to advance to the semi-finals.
Walshe, who herself has set eight new Irish standards in Hungary this week, will double up on Saturday evening as she competes in both the 100m Butterfly and 400m Individual Medley deciders. The Templeogue woman was the third fastest qualifier overall for the Butterfly final and sealed a third-placed finish in her IM heat on Saturday morning, finishing as the fifth seed overall with a time of 4:29.78.
Walshe, 23, took silver in the 400m Individual Medley at the 2021 Worlds.
“I think this morning was just to be comfortable to get back,” she said. “I’ve been in this final before. It’s exciting. I think the two finals are going to be tough tonight so whatever I have left is whatever I have left. I’m hurting now and I think to finish on a 400m IM is pretty tough — it felt tough this morning — but I know after doing it once this morning that it’ll be the last race tonight.
“It’s been a great meet and it’s been exciting.”
Walshe will have just under an hour’s recovery between her finals with the 100m Butterfly final due to start at 4:32pm Irish time the 400m Individual Medley showpiece at 5:30pm.
Meanwhile, having won Ireland’s fourth ever World Aquatics short course medal and his first Worlds medal in six years on Friday night, Shane Ryan returned for the 50m Freestyle heats where he set a new Irish Record of 21.07, making him Ireland’s fastest ever swimmer in the short course pool.
The National Centre Dublin swimmer broke Tom Fannon’s Irish Record of 21.21 from 2023.
Ryan was sixth in his heat and advanced in 14th place overall having swum next to a new world record in the event from the Cayman Island’s Jordan Crooks (20.08).
“I didn’t feel great at all this morning, but it’s a PB,” Ryan said. “But I know what I’m capable of, I can be a bit faster on that and yeah, just go back, warm down, have a bit of fun tonight. A PB, a national record, we move forward.
“I’m a big believer in trying to, you know, not sack it off and you have to earn your spot, and you have to give it 100% no matter how your body is feeling and try to represent the country the best you can, and that’s what I did this morning.
“Despite yesterday, you have to put your head back in place, stay in your lane and try to go fast.”
Previous national record holder Tom Fannon, also competing in the event, was just off that personal best of 21.21, finishing in 21.25 for a 17th-placed finish overall. While Fannon narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-finals, he’ll be first reserve.
Fannon, a teammate of Ryan’s at National Centre Dublin, said: “It’s ok. Coming off the back of the Olympics, the gameplan coming into this wasn’t necessarily to fully taper, so to try and expect a PB with a rest but not a full taper is difficult.
“Also short course, I always feel good swimming, then there’s a turn and it just stops my momentum, so I’m happy with it. Hopefully someone pulls out and I get to swim it again.”
In the Women’s 50m Freestyle, Danielle Hill closed out her championships with a time of 24.35, well outside her Irish record of 24.00. Hill is the second reserve for this evening’s semi-finals.
“It’s been a lot of learning, a lot of near misses but I’ve been through this exact process I don’t know how many times and I’m in a much better place mentally”, Hill said, “so it’s just about going back and doing more work. I think that’s the harsh reality of it all: I haven’t done enough work and that’s absolutely fine.
“You know, the priority this year is actually not swimming. I went back to university and I’m studying a Masters which is quite full-on. I just sat an exam yesterday morning. From the outside looking in, no one sees that, so it’s been tough over the last six months trying to manage going back to school again.
“But listen, I’m happy. I love where I’m at in my swimming, I’m enjoying it, and I think that’s the main priority moving forward but most definitely can look forward to building into long course season.”
In the Men’s 400m Individual Medley, Jack Cassin swam 4:12.96, just outside his best time of 4:11.87, as he signed off from his first ever Worlds.
Niamh Coyne and Eoin Corby both closed out their championships in the 50m Breaststroke Heats. Coyne clocked 31.48 while Corby was home in 27.44.
Later today, Ryan and Walshe will be joined in action by Nathan Wiffen who swims the fastest heat of the 800m Freestyle. Wiffen will be competing in the event in which his brother Daniel is the world record holder from last year’s European Championships.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
World Swimming Championships