Irish swimmers at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Dordrecht, Holland finished their week with a number of personal best swims in what has been a successful week for the stars of the future. The eight swimmers made 2 finals, 3, semi-finals and broke two Irish Junior Records over the five day meet which sees Europe’s top junior swimmers come together.
In the last day of competition, Gemma Kane (28.66), Emma Reid (28.92), Danielle Hill (29.11) and Niamh Kilgallen (30.66) all competed in the heats of the 50m Butterfly, while James Brown (4:43.00) and Ben Griffin (4:37.40) swam the heats of the 400m Individual Medley.
Speaking on the weeks performances Swim Ireland National Performance Director Peter Banks commented “Our strategy has been to have finalists at the Junior European level and this group continued that with two Finals and two Irish Junior Records. Swim Ireland will continue to build a younger group of swimmers which focus on this meet and will continue to produce good results in the future.”
Reid, Hill, Kilgallen and Brown are all eligible for the meet again next year as it forms part of the first European Games in Baku.
Ireland’s junior swimmers now turn their attention to Swim Ireland’s Irish Age Group Championships and Summer Open starting next Wednesday 16th July while Gemma Kane and Danielle Hill will focus their preparations on the Commonwealth Games with swimming taking place from the 24th July.
Results Day 5:
Gemma Kane 50m Butterfly 28.66 (22nd)
Emma Reid 50m Butterfly 28.91 (27th)
Danielle Hill 50m Butterfly 29.11 (40th)
Niamh Kilgallen 50m Butterfly 30.66 (52nd)
Ben Griffin 400m IM 4:37.40 (26th)
James Brown 400m IM 4:43.00 (35th)
