Just days after securing her place at the London 2012 Olympics Ireland’s Grainne Murphy returns to the pool tomorrow (Thursday) to compete at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Szczecin, Poland. Ireland has sent a team of nine swimmers to the event with coaches Peter Banks and Ronald Claes.
Murphy joins Olympians Melanie Nocher and Aisling Cooney along with Nicholas Quinn, Dan Sweeney, Bethany Carson, Clare Dawson, Jane Roberts and Shani Stallard.
The competition runs from Thursday 8th – Sunday 11th December. Almost 550 athletes from 40 LEN Member Federations will compete in Szczecin. Poland, for the first time ever host of European Swimming Championships, has entered the largest team with a total of 45 swimmers, followed by Russia with 39 athletes.
All nine of the Irish squad are in action tomorrow as Aisling Cooney and Melanie Nocher compete in the 100m backstroke heats. Grainne Murphy goes in the heats of the 200m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley. Heats begin at 09:30 local time (08:30 Irish time) and finals begin at 17:00 local time (16:00 Irish time).
