SWIMMING Irishmen Qualify for World Swimming Championships

Irishmen Ryan Harrison and Karl Burdis were recently in action at the 2009 Austin Grand Prix, Austin, Texas from 5-7 March 2009. Both Harrison, who is based at the University of Tennessee and Burdis, based at the University of Minnesota chose this long course event as their qualification meet for the World Long Course Swimming Championships which will take place in Rome, Italy this summer. Both men achieved their respective qualification standards for Rome.


Harrison, who hails from Derry recorded a total of three new Irish Senior Record times of 50.29, 1.49.71 and 3.55.97 for the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle respectively - all of which are inside the qualifying times for both the 2009 World Championships and World Student Games. His finishing times placed him third overall in the 200m, ahead of German International Chris Kuhbusch and third overall in the 400m.

Also in top form was Dubliner Karl Burdis who established two new Irish Senior Record times of 56.20 and 2.04.37 in the 100m and 200m freestyle respectively. Burdis's 100m time was inside the qualifying time required for both the 2009 World Championships and World Student Games. Burdis was the previous Irish record holder for the 100m backstroke (56.62) and takes the thirteen year old 200m backstroke record from Adrian O'Connor, former Irish Olympian.

Irish Swimmers based abroad also registered notable performances in February. Barry Murphy, who represents the University of Tennessee swam at the South Eastern Conference Championships in Auburn, Alabama and won the 50 yard freestyle in at time of 19.48. He also registered a 3rd place finish in the 100 yard breaststroke and came 5th in the 100 yard freestyle. Burdis finished in 6th place in the 100m backstroke at the Big Ten Championships in a career best of 48.12. Clare Dawson recorded a time of 57.63 in the 100 free at the BUSA Long Course meet in Sheffield, UK.

The Dave McCullagh Memorial Gala takes place at the UL Arena, Limerick from 27-29 March. This event represents the first opportunity in Ireland for Irish swimmers to qualify for the major competitions in the summer, including the World Championships in Rome, the European Juniors in Prague and the World Student Games in Belgrade. Top Irish swimmers Andrew Bree and Barry Murphy will be competing at the Irish Long Course National Championships in April 2009 in their bid to earn their places on the Irish team for the 2009 World Championships.

For further information contact:
Chantal Gibney, Swim Ireland
Ph: 086 3817933
Email: edo2@swimireland.ie