Bree leads European squad

Two-time Olympian and Irish record holder Andrew Bree will lead the Irish squad’s campaign at the upcoming European Long Course Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which begins on Wednesday.

For the first time, Ireland will have two open water swimmers competing at a LEN European Championships – Chris Bryan goes in the 10 kilometre race on Wednesday, while Andrew Meegan and Bryan are both in action in the 5 km swim on Thursday. The pool swimming commences on Monday 9 August.

The eight-strong Irish team consists of: Andrew Bree, Chris Bryan (open water), Ryan Harrison, Andrew Meegan (open water), Barry Murphy along with Clare Dawson, Melanie Nocher and Grainne Murphy. Dublin’s Nuala Murphy had to withdraw from the squad due to an ongoing back injury.

‘Two years out from the London Olympic Games, we see these Championships as a pathway meet along the road to London 2012. The team has been enjoying working together at a training camp in Slovenia for the past week and continue to prepare there in the lead up to Budapest,’ said Peter Banks, Swim Ireland’s National Performance Director.

‘The team is excited to step up and race at these Championships and for most of them this will be the first test of the season.’