Danielle Hill and Conor Ferguson are the latest Irish swimmers to go under the consideration times for the World Championship in Japan having posted FINA A standard times on Day 4 at the Irish Open at the NAC, taking the list of Irish swimmers eligible to seven
Hill the Tokyo Olympian was the fastest qualifier into tonights final of the womens 100 metres backstroke but after a heavy race schedule Hill had to be content with a silver medal as Kilkenny's Maria Godden took gold ahead of the Tokyo Olympian winning in 61.32 seconds
That time also qualified Godden for the inaugural European Under 23 championships which will be held in Dublin in August
24-year-old Conor Ferguson has shown a return to form since his move to Loughborough University in the UK and was due to race double Olympian Shane Ryan in the 100 backstroke final.
However Ryan withdrew from the decider as Ferguson won in a fast 54.01 seconds with 16 year old John Shortt, another Irish swimmer to make the consideration time for the Worlds in Japan, taking a creditable second in 55.26, a personal best for the teenager
"To be quiet honest I was thinking about quitting swimming last year so a year without funding has been tough" said Ferguson after his gold medal swim
"The switch to Loughborough and the support of my parents and girlfriend has been crucial to me staying in the sport".
"To make the (consideration time for the) worlds is a huge bonus and I splashed the water today after the win as I was delighted to go as close as I did to the Irish record" he added
Finn McKeever (NAC limerick) just held off the fast finishing Jack Cassin (Dolphin) to win the mens 200 Freestyle in 1.50.77 while in the final race of the evening, the 200 metres Breastroke, gold went to veteran Darragh Greene (NAC) the 28 year old winning in 2.12.17 a brilliant last 50 giving him the title just ahead of Limericks’s Eoin Corby
Other winners today included Ellen Walsh, another of the Irish competitors who will be at the worlds, won the 200 Individual Medley in 2.12.93 just outside her own Irish record
Grace Hodgins (Trojan) who won the 800 freestyle in 8.50.98 to add to her 400 metre Individual gold won earlier this week and Alana Burns Atkin-Burns of Banbridge won the womens 200 Butterfly title in 2.28.37
