SWIMMING Clean Sweep for Portmarnock Trio

Twelve individual titles were contested today in Leisureland, Galway on day three of the Irish Short Course National Swimming Championships. Portmarnock Swim Team claimed the top three places in the men's 200m backstroke when Irish record holder Karl Burdis had a strong winning performance of 2.01.69, his fifteen year-old teammate Jack Cobain finished in second (2.08.03) and Jonathan McGee, also from Portmarnock finished in third (2.11.32).

Lisburn's Bethany Carson had a good day in the pool, winning the National title of the women's 50m freestyle in 26.56 seconds as well as qualifying into first position in the 100m freestyle 57.56.

17 year-old Amy McVeigh from Aer Lingus swim team impressed in the women's 100m backstroke, winning it in 1.03.37, over two seconds ahead of second place finisher Bethany Carson (1.05.48). Missing from the line up though was Irish record holder Aisling Cooney, who chose to line out in the shorter sprint event, the 50m butterfly instead. Cooney cruised to a win in 28.15 in that event.

Another highlight from the finals came from Dolphin's Susan Callanan in the 100m Individual Medley. The seventeen year-old Cork swimmer dug in deep in the last 25 metres to fend off Aer Lingus's Catrina English who was nipping at her heals. In the end, Callaghan claimed the gold in 1.07.46, English was second in 1.08.09 and Alison Todd (City of Belfast) was third in 1.08.27.

Four relay events closed out the proceedings, with Aer Lingus women's squad (A. McVeigh, N. McDonnell, A. Berry, H. Burke) taking the national title in the senior women's 400m freestyle relay. Anchor leg Hayley Burke was pitted against Olympian Aisling Cooney on the last 100 metres and Burke, who was swimming in her final competition of her swimming career managed to fight off Cooney to help her team win the title.

A strong quartet from UCD dominated the men's 400m freestyle relay race and won the first ever national title for the newly established club, which is coached by former Olympian Earl McCarthy. There was also great excitement for the girl's 400m medley relay final where cheers of encouragement for rivals Aer Lingus and ESB brought the house down - Aer Lingus got the touch in the end. Competition resumes tomorrow, Sunday with prelims at 09:30 and finals at 16:30.