Ireland’s Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay team on Thursday became the fifth Irish relay team to set a new Irish Senior Record at the LEN European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The goal for Ireland at this event is to qualify a swimming relay team for the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972, and so far every relay team that has competed at the Duna Arena has swum at least one new Irish Senior Record time.
On Thursday the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay became the latest when Shane Ryan, Darragh Greene, Ellen Walshe and Danielle Hill clocked 3:49.08 to lower the previous record of 3:52.38 that had stood since 2017.
The quartet finished 13th in Europe, finishing in the top half of the biggest relay field of this championships.
Ireland will have another chance to advance Medley Relay chances for Tokyo 2021 when the Men’s and Women’s teams line up in Budapest on Sunday.
Earlier, Ards Swimming Club’s Paddy Johnston kicked Ireland’s Thursday off with a personal best of 24.62 in the 50m Butterfly heats. The 20-year-old has never swum faster than 25 seconds before in 50m pool competition and finished fourth in his heat from the unfavourable outside lane, nine.
The performance was not quite enough this time to advance to the Semi-Finals.
On Friday, National Centre Limerick’s Eoin Corby will compete in the 50m Breaststroke heats and Irish Senior Record holder Daniel Wiffen will compete in the 800m Freestyle heats.
The Loughborough University swimmer, who spent his formative years with Lisburn Swimming Club, set the 800m Freestyle record at the Irish National Team Trials in April – achieving the Olympic Consideration Time for Tokyo 2021 in the process.
The heats begin at 9am Irish time, with Semi-Finals for Corby’s event taking place on Friday evening, and the 800m Final scheduled for Saturday evening.
More about the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay team:
Shane Ryan, 27, National Centre Dublin, Rio 2016 Olympian, Irish Senior Record holder in 100m Freestyle, 50m and 100m Backstroke. Earned Olympic Consideration Time for 100m Backstroke at Tokyo 2021.
Darragh Greene, 25, National Centre Dublin, Irish Senior Record holder in 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke. Earned Olympic Consideration Time for 100m and 200m Breaststroke at Tokyo 2021.
Ellen Walshe, 19, Templeogue Swimming Club, 100m Butterfly Irish Senior Record holder.
Danielle Hill, 21, Larne Swimming Club, Fastest Irish female swimmer of all-time. Irish Senior Record holder in 50 and 100m Freestyle and Backstroke.
New Irish Senior Relay Records – Time (Time before this event)
Monday – Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay Record – 3:16.88 (3:17.38)
Monday – Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay Record – 3:44.37 (3:47.21)
Tuesday – Mixed 4x200m Freestyle Relay Record – 7:50.41 (7:51.24)
Wednesday – Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Record – 7:12.00 (7:13.91)
Thursday – Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Record – 3:49.08 (3:52.38)
You can watch all the swimming in Budapest live online via the links below.
LIVESTREAMS: RTE Player | Eurovision Livestream | LEN Livestream
For all results, please visit European Championships 2020 | Budapest (microplustiming.com)
IRISH SWIMMING SCHEDULE – LEN European Aquatics Championships 2021
Friday, May 21
Men’s 50m Breaststroke – Eoin Corby
Men’s 800m Freestyle – Daniel Wiffen
Saturday, May 22
Women’s 50m Breaststroke – Niamh Coyne
Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Sunday, May 23
Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay
Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay
Irish Swimming Team for the LEN European Aquatics Championships 2021
Brendan Hyland– National Centre (Dublin)
Conor Ferguson– Larne Swimming Club
Daniel Wiffen– Loughborough University
Danielle Hill– Larne Swimming Club
Darragh Greene– National Centre (Dublin)
Ellen Walshe– Templeogue Swimming Club
Eoin Corby– National Centre (Limerick)
Erin Riordan– National Centre (Dublin)
Finn McGeever– National Centre (Limerick)
Gerry Quinn– National Centre (Limerick)
Jack McMillan– Bangor Swimming Club
Jordan Sloan– Bangor Swimming Club
Max McCusker– Florida State University
Mona McSharry– University of Tennessee
Naomi Trait– Kilkenny Swimming Club
Niamh Coyne– National Centre (Dublin)
Paddy Johnston– Ards Swimming Club
Robbie Powell– National Centre (Dublin)
Shane Ryan– National Centre (Dublin)
Victoria Catterson– Ards Swimming Club
LEN European Aquatics Championships so far:
4⃣ Finals
5⃣ Relays
7⃣ New Irish Senior Relay RecordsGet all the news ⬇https://t.co/XGC9wDJ9Wh@KineticaSports @arenaUK_ @sportireland @TeamIreland pic.twitter.com/zaMK5gUPw7
— Swim Ireland (@swimireland) May 20, 2021
