SWIMMING 2009 World Long Course Championships

The Irish swimming team has arrived in Rome ahead of the World Long Course Swimming Championships in the Italian capital city. The thirteen-strong team had been based at an outdoor 50m training camp in Tuscany, Northern Italy for the past week.

Spirits are high amongst the Irish camp with no injuries or illnesses to be reported. Temperatures in Rome are hot, averaging at above 30 degrees celcius daily.

The full team line up for the outdoor competition which gets underway on Sunday is, male: Andrew Bree, Karl Burdis, Ryan Harrison, Conor Leaney, Barry Murphy and Donal O'Neill and female: Aisling Cooney, Clare Dawson, Fiona Doyle, Grainne Murphy, Nuala Murphy, Melanie Nocher and Niamh O'Sullivan.

Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane commented "This event is a great opportunity for the team and especially for its younger swimmers, to compete on a world stage alongside the best in the world. There will also be a strong Irish presence among the supporters which will hopefully add to the thrill of the event for our top swimmers and help them to strive towards achieving their goals in Rome."

This is the second time that the World Long Course Championships has been held Rome in; the first being in 2004. The swimming competition will commence on Sunday 26th July and end on Sunday 2nd August.

Issued on behalf of Swim Ireland, supported by the Irish Sports Council.