SWIMMING Grainne Murphy Breaks 13-year de Bruin Swimming Record

16-year old Grainne Murphy from New Ross, Co. Wexford broke the Irish Senior Record for the 200m Individual Medley today at the World Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy today. Her new record time of 2.13.64 makes her the fastest female Irish swimmer in history over this distance, since Michelle Smith de Bruin set the standard 13 years ago when she won gold in the event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Speaking after the race, Murphy's coach Ronald Claes of Swim Ireland's Limerick High Performance Centre (HPC) where Grainne is based said "That was a great personal best time for Grainne. After every race we try to look and see how we can do better for the next time. Following a really successful European Junior Championships in Prague a few weeks ago, we tried to improve on the things that needed to be looked at here in Rome and Grainne has done really well today as a result."

Barry Murphy, sprint specialist also had an outstanding first day of competition and also made his mark in the record books, setting one individual record, equalling one individual record and helping the men's relay towards a new team record. Leading off the Irish Men's 4x100m freeetyle relay Murphy set a new personal best and Irish Record time of 49.98 - making him the first Irish man ever to break the 50-second barrier for 100m freestyle long course. The strong quartet of Murphy, Ryan Harrison, Conor Leaney and Karl Burdis went on to establish a new Irish Record time of 3.21.77. Earlier, in the heats of the 100m breaststroke the Tennessee student clocked a 1.01.76 for the 100m breaststroke - equalling Andrew Bree's Irish record mark which he set during the Beijing OIympics last summer. Bree's finishing time coming out of the heats was 1.01.78.

Speaking after the first session at the Foro Italico Murphy commented "I was really pleased with my 100m breaststroke and didn't know it was an Irish record until I spoke with John Kenny in the mix zone. I'm also delighted to have recorded a best time in my 100m freestyle lead off leg of the relay, then the relay squad stepped it up and we got the record and that was the cherry on top."

Three other new Irish Records were set today, in what was a remarkable first day for the Irish. Ryan Harrison lowered his own Irish record in the 400m feeestyle - 3.55.88. Fiona Doyle led off the Women's 4x100m freestyle team relay in record style, clocking 56.67 and the women's side then broke the previous Irish record mark to finish in 3.47.21. Dubliner Nuala Murphy, also based at the Limerick HPC was in action in the 400m freestyle and swam a personal best time of 4.13.51 - over 4 seconds faster than her previous best. Her teamate and training partner Niamh O'Sullivan swam in the same heat, finishing in 4.16.80, also a personal best for the Kerry girl. Conor Leaney of Larne Swimming Club clocked a 25.27 in the 50m butterfly - just outside his personal best and Irish record.

Irish swimmers in action tomorrow are Aisling Cooney and Melanie Nocher (100m backstroke), Conor Leaney and Ryan Harrison (200m freestyle), Fiona Doyle (100m breaststroke), Donal O'Neill and Karl Burdis (100m backstroke) and Grainne Murphy and Nuala Murphy (1500m freestyle).

There will be no further correspondence today; the next correspondence will be tomorrow afternoon lunchtime.

Issued on behalf of Swim Ireland, whose High Performance Programme is supported and funded by the Irish Sports Council.