In Barcelona, the penultimate day of the 2026 Para Swimming World Series concluded this evening, with both Luke O’Donoghue and Ellie Lynch competing in Youth Finals. O’Donoghue delivered the standout performance of the night, claiming a youth silver medal.
The Kingdom man secured Ireland’s third medal of the meet, winning silver in the 100m Breaststroke Youth Final (S9). O’Donoghue clocked a new lifetime best of 1:10.21, shaving nearly a second and a half off his morning swim to finish second on the podium.
Speaking after tonight’s medal win, the Kerry native said: “I’m feeling very good after that. I came into this meet not expecting to PB after only having surgery a few weeks ago, so I’m absolutely delighted. I can’t wait to step onto that podium – it was always a goal of mine to win a medal here, and now we’ve done it. My mom and my gran are here; they are my number one fans. My mom takes me to training and every competition, and she helps out with coaching, so she’s brilliant.”
Ellie Lynch was also in action tonight, appearing in her second youth final of the week. The Celtic Waves swimmer finished sixth overall in the 100m Backstroke Youth Final (S9) with a time of 1:12.20. Lynch will return for one more day of racing, competing in the 50m Freestyle (S9).
Speaking after the race, Lynch said: “I think it’s definitely a learning experience. It wasn’t the result I was hoping for, but I can build on it. There are things I need to work on and improve, and it’s all part of the process. Even just wearing the Irish cap is an achievement, so I’m not too worried about the time tonight – I’m just proud to be here.”
Earlier today, Barry McClements continued his preparation with his sights set on the Irish Open in two weeks’ time, clocking 1:07.97 in the 100m Backstroke heats (S9). Meanwhile, Sam Black (14) and Luke Brennan (S8) recorded new personal bests in the same event, while Maya Hogan posted a time of 1:32.27 in the S10 class.