European champion John Shortt sets another national record at Irish Winter Swimming Championships

"The 18-year-old had set an Irish junior record of 1:57.39 in the event at the Munster Championships (SC) in November, and tonight he obliterated that and Brendan Hyland's 2019 Irish senior record of 1:56.74 in 1:55.80. Shortt was the only swimmer under the two-minute mark with his National Centre Limerick teammate Cormac Rynn second in 2:00.49 and Dolphin's Charlie Cassidy third in 2:00.85."

"Another new European gold medallist Ellen Walshe was also back racing. Walshe, who claimed European 200m butterfly gold and 200m individual medley silver in Poland, won the 100m freestyle in a speedy 53.18, just outside the Irish record of 53.03. Ards' Grace Davison was second in 53.61 and National Centre Limerick's Danielle Farrell third in 54.31."

"Having won silver in the 200m individual medley Cormac Rynn was back in the pool for the 100m freestyle and upgraded to gold in 49.12 seconds. National Centre Ulster's Brandon Biss won silver in 49.36 with NAC's Oisin Tebite just two hundredths of a second behind in 49.38. Another National Centre Limerick swimmer, Isabel Kidney, took the women's 200m individual medley gold in a tight race with just six tenths of a second separating the medallists. Kidney was first in 2:15.25, NAC's Kelly-Ann Brown second in 2:15.52 and UCD's Jena Macdougald third in 2:15.86."

Shortt, 18, lowered his Irish junior time and broke Brendan Hyland's 2019 Irish senior 200m backstroke record with a 1:55.80. He was the only swimmer under two minutes; National Centre Limerick's Cormac Rynn finished second in 2:00.49 and Dolphin's Charlie Cassidy third in 2:00.85. Shortt had won 200m backstroke gold at the European Short Course Championships last week and recorded his 17th and 18th Irish records in the past month. Ellen Walshe won the 100m freestyle in 53.18. Cormac Rynn won the men's 100m freestyle in 49.12. Isabel Kidney won the women's 200m individual medley in 2:15.25. Skye Austin-Burrows and Daragh Horgan won the women's and men's 800m freestyle finals respectively.

Read at Irish Independent