SWIMMING: Barry Murphy Makes Final at European Short Course Swimming Championships

US-based Irish swimmer Barry Murphy had an outstanding first day of competition at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Rijeka, Croatia today, breaking a total of three Irish Senior Records in the pool and representing the Irish team in their first final of the Championships. Murphy finished the Men's 50m freestyle final in eighth place overall in a time of 21.62.

Earlier in the heats of the Men's 50m freestyle Murphy clocked a time of 22.71 (which lowered the record previously held by himself. Belfast swimmer Conor Leaney also finished his heat of the same event in record breaking style - posting a time of 23.00; a new Irish Junior Record. In the semi-final of the Men's 50m freestyle Murphy went on to lower his Irish Record further when he clocked a time of 21.53.

Murphy's third Irish record of the day came in the heats of the Men's 100m breastroke - where he finished in a time of 59.51.

It was close encounter for Ireland's top backstrokers in the Women's 100m backstroke where Olympians Aisling Cooney and Melanie Nocher raced in back to back heats. Cooney was first up, clocking a time of 1.00.54 and recording a new Irish Senior Record in the process. One heat later Nocher lowered Cooney's record to 1.00.42. Cooney represented Ireland at the Beijing Olympics in the 100m backstroke and Nocher swam in the 200m Backstroke in Beijing.

The semi-final of the Women's 100m backstroke took much the same format - with Cooney swimming in the first semi-final and Nocher in the second. Cooney powered her way to a new personal best time of 1.00.42, equalling the Irish record that Nocher had newly established in the heats. Nocher, who now holds the Irish record in this event finished in 1.00.45, in her semi-final swim.

Two Irish girls were also in action in the heats of the Women's 200m Individual Medley. Grainne Murphy and Bethany Carson swam 2.17.00 and 2.18.60 respectively and both girls got inside the previous Irish Junior Record mark - with Grainne taking the new title.

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