SWIMMING Murphy Wins Another Gold

Irish swimming enjoyed another day of outstanding performances from its top National swimmers.

Swimming sensation Grainne Murphy has won her second gold and third medal overall of the European Junior Swimming Championships in Prague this evening. Her winning performance tonight came in the final of the 800m freestyle where the 16 year-old girl from Ballinaboola, Co. Wexford established a new Irish Junior and Senior record for the distance event, touching the wall in a time of 8.36.63 - almost two seconds ahead of her next opponent, Tjasa Oder of Slovenia.

This world class performance from the New Ross native comes just 2 days after she took gold in the 400m Individual Medley and bronze for the 1500m freestyle at the same championships (on Wednesday evening).

"I expected the other girls to come back on the second 400m of the race but they didn't. My whole race felt really strong from start to finish," said Murphy following her race.

Not only was it a win for Murphy, who is coached by Ronald Claes at Swim Ireland's Limerick High Performance Centre, University of Limerick, but she also managed to swim the first half of the race (400m) in a new Irish Junior record time of 4.17.76.

"It just feels really good to win another gold medal," announced Murphy. "I have one more swim to go and that's the 200m Individual Medley tomorrow - so we'll see how it goes."

Michael Dawson and Tara Dunne were also in action today in Prague in their respective events. Dawson swam the 50m breaststroke in a time of 29.95 and Dunne swam the 200m freestyle in 2.09.36. Despite these good performances neither managed to progress from their heats, but both will compete again tomorrow, Saturday, the final day of competition.

Dubliner Barry Murphy, based out of the University of Tennessee broke the Irish Senior record for the 50m freestyle twice today at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia; he clocked 22.41 in the heats this morning and 22.25 in the semi-final later this evening. Murphy is now the 3rd fastest seed going into tomorrow evening's 50m freestyle final.

Nuala Murphy, also based out of the Limerick High Performance Centre and a student at the University of Limerick had a seventh place finish in the 1500m freestyle in Belgrade, finishing in16.51.39.

Meanwhile the Irish Age-Group National Championships got underway today at Dublin's National Aquatic Centre (NAC), which is soon to become the Swim Ireland National Aquatic Performance Centre (September). Live results from this event are available on the Swim Ireland website at: http://www.swimireland.ie/index.cfm/loc/6-16.

For further information contact:

Chantal Gibney, Swim Ireland
Ph: 086 3817933
Email: edo2@swimireland.ie