McMahon sets Irish Junior Records in Eindhoven

Members of the Irish National Swimming team are in action today at the 2011 Dutch Open Swimming Championships, taking place from 2-4 December in Eindhoven. This event is targeted by many Irish swimmers as an early opportunity to achieve the FINA A qualification standard for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The 10 strong Irish team includes European Silver Medalist Grainne Murphy whose main event for Olympic qualification is the 800m Freestyle, which takes place tomorrow (Saturday).

2008 Olympian Melanie Nocher was focused on the 200m Backstroke today. Nocher, aiming for Olympic qualification this weekend, swam strongly in the heats (2:13.31) and was seeded 3rd heading into this evening's final. In the final Nocher swam 2:12.02 to secure the bronze medal but failed to hit the Olympic A standard of 2:09.68.

Three Irish girls swam in the heats of the 200m Individual Medley. Grainne Murphy was best of the Irish, qualifying for the final in 5th place in a time of 2:16.30. Murphy finished 5th in the final in 2:15.82. HPC-NAC swimmer Bethany Carson was unlucky to miss out on the final, finishing 11th in a time of 2:18.68. Carson improved this time in the B final finishing 3rd in 2:18.50. Shani Stallard swam 2:24.37 finishing 23rd overall.

Sycerika McMahon, of Leander SC, swam two events today. Her first event was the 100m Breaststroke, where she set an Irish Junior Record in the heats (1:09.80) on her way to qualifying for the final. In the final she again lowered the Junior Record finishing in 6th place in 1:09.24. Shani Stallard also swam in the heats of this event, qualifying for the B final after a personal best swim in the heats (1:11.77). Stallard swam 1:11.88 in the final.

Four Irish swimmers competed in the 400m Freestyle event. Sycerika McMahon was the fastest for the Irish team finishing in 14th place in a time of 4:16.97 beating off Clare Dawson in 15th (4:17.2), Nuala Murphy (4:19.77) and Niamh O'Sullivan (4:21.72)

Portmarnock swimmer Karl Burdis finished 23rd in the heats of the 200m Backstroke (2:07.52), his only event today. He swims in the 50m and 100m Backstroke later this week.

Meanwhile Andrew Bree and Fiona Doyle were in action in the US Nationals, taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. Both Bree and Doyle competed in the heats of the 100m Breaststroke, Bree finished in 1:03.68 while Doyle who made the C final touched in 1:11.47.