Murphy in with medal shout in Poland

By John Kenny

Ireland’s Grainne Murphy will swim the fastest heat of the women’s 800 freestyle at the European Short Course Swimming Championship, one of her top events, at Szczecin in Poland this afternoon.

Murphy, who last weekend went under the A standard for the Olympic games at the Dutch Nationals in Eindhoven, has the third fastest entry time in the heat-declared event and while the gold and silver look beyond the 18-year-old, bronze may be within her grasp.

Ahead of the Wexford teenager on entry times are Spain’s Erika Villaecija Garcia, who has the fastest time and Lotte Friis of Denmark, who beat Murphy to the gold medal at last year’s European Long Course 1500 freestyle title in Budapest.

Murphy’s Irish record time of 8:19.45 is the third fastest of those who have entered the event and she will probably have to better that time to be in with a chance of making the victory rostrum

The women’s 800 freestyle is the first of the afternoon races at 4pm.

Murphy warmed up for this afternoon’s race by competing in the 200 breaststroke heats, but she and Shani Stallard failed to progress as did Aisling Cooney in the women’s 50 Fly.