Nocher Top Seed for World Championship Qualifier

Olympian and Irish record holder, Loughborough-based Melanie Nocher, is confirmed to compete at this weekend's World Championship Qualifier and Irish Long Course National Swimming Championships which takes place at the National Aquatic Centre, Dublin from tomorrow 28th April to Sunday 1st May.

Nocher, who will be seeking qualification for this summer's World Championship event in Shanghai, China is the top seed for tomorrow's 200m freestyle event, and will compete in the event alongside Ireland's European silver medalist Grainne Murphy - who has already achieved the qualification mark for China.

"There will be an exciting start to today's events at the NAC as both Grainne and Melanie Nocher have entered the women's 200 metres freestyle," said Swim Ireland's high performance director Peter Banks today."

"Our intention is to run a women's 4 x 200m freestyle relay team at the Worlds and this weekend is an ideal opportunity for the girls to collectively make the qualifying standard."

Other names to watch out for over the course of the four day competition are Olympian Aisling Cooney, Sycerika McMahon, Shani Stallard, Bethany Carson, Nuala Murphy, Niamh O'Sullivan, Karl Burdis, Chris Bryan and Andrew Meegan.

The meet is one of two Irish competitions that Irish swimmers can achieve qualification for a number of summer meets at, including the Junior European Championships, European Youth Olympics, World University Games and World Junior Championships.

The heats commence tomorrow at 9.30am. Finals begin daily at 16.30pm.