Records tumbled at the Lagan Valley Leisureplex Swimming Pool in Lisburn today with three new junior and one new senior Irish record being set on the final day of the Irish National Short Course Swimming Championships.
Twenty-eight year old Donal O’Neill powered his way to a new Irish senior record of 54.42 in the final of the Men’s 100m.
In breaking the record, he also achieved the qualification standard for the upcoming European Short Course Championships in Croatia in December.
O’Neill, who was representing Trojan Swimming Club, has made an impressive return to the pool after retiring from the sport some four years ago.
An outstanding performance from the Dublin man means he will now join the rest of the Irish team travelling to Croatia in six weeks time.
Lisburn’s Bethany Carson added to her record tally when she established a new Irish junior record in the Women’s 200m Freestyle to win the event in a time of 2.03.13 – over two seconds ahead of second place finisher Grace Sweeney (2.05.26) from Glenalbyn swimming club.
It was heartbreak for Limerick High Performance Swimmer Lorna Cummins in the final of the Women’s 100m Butterfly when she just missed out on qualifying for the European Championships in December by two hundredths of a second.
However, Lorna’s finishing time of 2.14.16 was a personal best for the Cork swimmer.
Botond Solymossy, swimming for Westwood CRC, snatched the Men’s 50m Freestyle title from Belfast man Conor Leaney in a breath-taking finish.
Solymossy touched the wall in a time of 23.12, with Leaney clocking a time of 23.18 - establishing a new Irish junior record in the process.
A few events later Leaney established another Irish record – this time it was in the longer 200m Freestyle event.
Leaney’s time of 1.50.27 was three hundredths of a second faster than the previous mark of 1.50.54 which was held by Ryan Harrison.
Bangor’s nineteen year old Simon Dickson put in an impressive performance in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke final to take the title in a time of 1.03.86 – over three seconds ahead of second place finisher Stephen O’Nolan from Trojan swimming club (1.07.03).
