Swimming – Irish Record Smashed with Relay Team Reaching European Final

Ireland to compete in TWO European Finals tonight

11^th July 2014

Ireland’s junior girls have smashed the National 4x100m Medley Team Relay Record on the third day of competition at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Dordrecht in an action packed heats session and have secured a place tonight’s Final.

The team of Danielle Hill, Niamh Kilgallen, Gemma Kane and Laoise Fleming took over five seconds off the previous record of 4:23.23 and swam a combined time of 4:18.13.

Hill lead the team with the Backstroke leg, swimming a personal best of 1:05.42, she was followed by Gemma Kane who had just 20 minutes earlier swam the 100m Butterfly heats. Niamh Kilgallen swam an impressive 1:12.41 in the Breaststroke leg and Laoise Fleming brought the team home on the Freestyle leg in a speedy 58.02, her fastest 100m Freestyle swim to date, placing Ireland fourth in the heat behind Spain, France and Greece.

The final will take place at 6.48pm tonight (Ireland).

Prior to the relay, an in form Gemma Kane swam a personal best to qualify her for the semi-final of the 100m Butterfly tonight. Kane took .4 of a second off her previous best of 1:03.02 to finish in 1:02.62 and goes into tonight’s semi-final as the 13^th fastest qualifier.

Also in finals action tonight, Dearbhail McNamara will swim the 200m Breaststroke

Final at 5.16pm following her impressive semi-final display last night.

Commenting on today’s qualifications Swim Ireland National Performance Director Peter Banks said “Two finals and a semi-final is a really great outcome for our junior team, we are achieving what we came here to do and with two and a half days still to go we are looking forward to even more great swims”.

In other action today, Danielle Hill (30.88), Emma Reid (32.43) and Laoise Fleming (31.85) all swam the heats of the 50m Backstroke while Fleming returned to the pool for the 200m Freestyle (2:07.76) and Reid for the 100m Butterfly (1:04.00).

A further press release will issue following tonight’s final session.

Results Day 3:

Heats

Danielle Hill 50m Backstroke 30.88 (26^th)

Emma Reid 50m Backstroke 32.43 (37^th) 100m Butterfly 1:04.00 (28^th)

Laoise Fleming 50m Backstroke 31.85 (35^th) 200m Freestyle 2:07.76 (28^th)

Gemma Kane 100m Butterfly 1:02.62 (16^th)

Ireland 4x100m Medley Relay 4:18.13 IJR (8^th)

Semi-Final/Final Day 3

200m Breaststroke Final Dearbhail McNamara 5.16pm

100m Butterfly Semi Final Gemma Kane 5:26pm

4x 100m Medley Relay Final Ireland 6.48pm

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