McMahon Strikes Gold at Irish SC Championships

Following her European success last week, Sycerika McMahon picked up five Irish titles on Day 1 of the Irish Short Course National Championships in Lisburn.

McMahon picked up her first medal in the 800m Freestyle touching in 8:50.86 ahead of Tallaght and NAC High Performance Centre swimmer Antoinette Neamt (8:55.62) in second. Neamt, at just 11 years old, is a member of Swim Ireland's National Youth Squad.

McMahon went on to win gold in the 100m Breaststroke (1:08.30), 200m Butterfly (2:13.71) and 100m Freestyle (56.07) but her most impressive swim of the night was in the 200m Individual Medley when in winning Gold she set a new Irish Senior Record of 2:12.35. In this event Lisburn's Bethany Carson (2:14.06) finished in second with Shani Stallard from UCD (2:18.17) in third.

McMahon's European SC team mate Brendan Gibbons (3:55.14) set a new Irish Junior Record in the men's 400m Freestyle heats this morning, Gibbons then went on to take Silver in the evenings final in another junior record time of 3:54.21. He was narrowly defeated to the Gold by Aer Lingus' Andrew Meegan (3:53.78).

17 year old Jack Cobain was the gold medal winner in the men's 200m Backstroke Final clocking 2:03.50. The Portmarnock swimmer then won Silver (55.95) in the 100m Butterfly in an exciting finish with just .02 of second separating him from the events winner David O'Sullivan (55.93) Galway SC.

2008 Beijing Olympian Aisling Cooney won the women's 50m Backstroke Final. The UCD swimmer and current Irish Record holder in the event finished in 29.49 with Emma Cassidy (30.36) in second. Whilst, Botond Solymossy (23.05) Atlantis SC beat off Mathew Coward (23.36) NAC and David Prendergast (23.48) Kilkenny to take Gold in the Men's 50m Freestyle Final.

Bangor (2:00.90) picked up Gold in the Women's 4x50m Medley Relay Event, whilst Kilkenny were victorious finishing in 1:47.49 in the Men's 4x50m Medley Relay.