By John Kenny
Grainne Murphy became only the second Irish swimmer in history to take a European Short Course Swimming Championships medal when she won bronze in the Women’s 800 metres Freestyle in Eindhoven on Friday.
Swimming in the heat declared event, with the medals won on time rather than in a straight final, the County Wexford, Limerick-based Murphy took the bronze behind Italian great Frederica Pelligrini and Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas. Murphy smashed her own Irish record by 16 seconds in the process.
The last time Ireland had medalled in a 25-metre European Championships was back in 2003 when Andrew Bree won silver in the Men’s 200 metres Breaststroke at the NAC in Dublin.
Murphy adds her bronze medal to the silver she took in the European Long Course Swimming Championships – held in a 50 metre pool – Women’s 1,500m Freestyle back in August.
Murphy said after her historic performance: 'It was quite unexpected but it was a really good swim and I’m happy with it. I couldn’t ask for much more really.
'The bronze medal is really like a bonus.
'I was coming in here to see how things are going in training.
'I watched the faster heat this evening and the Hungarian girl came back very strong in the end. It was a good race to watch.
'She had a good swim, she’s happy with her swim and I'm happy with mine.
'Training has been going really well so far and picking up a bronze medal is really good.'
The teenager paid tribute to the hard work put into the sport in Ireland in recent times:
'Irish swimming has been coming on in the last couple of years thanks to the Irish Sports Council, Swim Ireland and the High Performance Centre in Limerick.
'That is where I am based with my coach and other swimmers.
'Irish swimming is moving forward.
'I’m really just coming here to gain the experience because short course is quite different to long course. I’m really coming here with no expectations but to have fun and see what happens.'
