Swim Ireland’s Irish Open Championships continued in Dublin on Sunday morning with Olympic semi-finalist Tom Fannon confirming his qualification for the World Championships in the 50m Freestyle. The National Centre Dublin swimmer swam an impressive Championship Record of 21.78, well inside the required World Aquatics A time of 22.05 and was just outside his Irish Record of 21.74 from Paris.
In the same event Lisburn City’s Matthew Hamilton finished fourth overall breaking his own Irish Junior Record of 22.93 in 22.78, securing a consideration time for the European Aquatics Junior Championships.
Fannon and Shane Ryan (22.48) will take the centre lanes for this evening’s semi-finals, with Ryan aiming for a time of 22.16 to validate his qualification for Singapore.
Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry leads the qualifiers for the Female 100m Breaststroke in 1:07.53. McSharry will need to be quicker than 1:07.20 to confirm her qualification for World Championships. Second seed Ellie McCartney clocked 1:07.99 to add to her 200m IM qualifications for both the European Aquatics U23 Championships and World University Games. In fourth overall, Shark’s Niamh Connery achieved the European Aquatics Junior Championships consideration time in 1:10.43.
In the 100m Butterfly, Jack Cassin added a consideration time for the European Aquatics U23 Championships to the 200m Freestyle time he had achieved on Saturday. The National Centre Limerick swimmer touched in 53.24 behind Berlin’s Luca Nik-Armbuster (52.98). In third place Matthew Hamilton touched in 54.18 and under the consideration time for the European Aquatics Junior Championships. 15-year-old Shea Mathers of Banbridge became the first to achieve the consideration time for the European Youth Olympic Festival in 58.65.
The qualification times continued to come in as Grace Davison added to her 200m IM consideration for the European Aquatics Junior Championships with a time in the 100m Freestyle. The Ards swimmer, who is a bronze medallist from the 2024 edition of the European Juniors in the event, clocked 56.30 leading Danielle Farrell (56.31), Victoria Catterson (56.31) and Danielle Hill (56.46).
Eoin Corby was the only swimmer under 62 seconds in the Open 100m Breaststroke heats with the National Centre Limerick swimmer touching in 1:01.86, followed by National Centre Ulster’s Lachey Reed (1:02.60) and National Centre Dublin’s Liam O’Connor (1:03.38). In fourth overall, Bangor’s Adam Bradley was under the European Aquatics Junior Championships consideration time of 1:03.63 in 1:03.59.
Sunday’s Finals session consists of Open and Female 100m Backstroke Finals, Female 1500m Freestyle Final, Open 800m Freestyle Final, Female 200m Butterfly Final, Male 200m Freestyle Final, Female 200m IM Final as well as semi-finals in the Open 50m Freestyle, Female and Open 100m Breaststroke, Female 100m Freestyle and Open 100m Butterfly.