Danielle Hill
Swimming
BIOGRAPHY
Ireland’s fastest ever female swimmer was a Commonwealth Games finalist in 2018 despite dislocating her shoulder in training. This summer she became European champion at the non-Olympic distance of 50m backstroke – Irelands’ first European long course title since Michelle Smith in 1997 – and she also won European silver in 100m backstroke. Danielle made her Olympic debut in Tokyo and was 25th in 100m backstroke heats (1:00.86), and 33rd in 50m freestyle heats (25:70). She was the first Irish woman to break one minute, demolishing her own Irish senior record with 59:11 at the national Olympic trials in May, where her new Irish record of 24:68 in 50m freestyle also secured qualification for Paris. Danielle has completed a Sport and Exercise Science degree at Ulster University, and is training full-time and coaching at Larne SC.