The Irish contingent performed impressively on the first day of the 2024 European Aquatic Championships in Belgrade, Tokyo Olympian Darragh Greene advancing to a final and the men's freestyle relay team recording a seventh place in their final.
With the sun setting in the outdoor Sports Centre Milan Gale Muskatirovic, Ireland’s quartet of Evan Bailey, Finn McGeever, Cormac Rynn and Jack Cassin stepped onto the stage for the 4x200 freestyle relay final and came home quicker than their morning swim (7:18.71) in 7:17.97 to place seventh in Europe.
McGeever said: "I’m delighted with that; we moved it on again tonight and got a faster time overall so I’m really happy. I sound like a broken record but I’m just really proud of the young lads that are here today."
Darragh Greene was the standout individual performer in Serbia on Monday.
The Longford man can consider it a job well done as he returned to the blocks to go quicker than this morning’s swim (1:00.53) in 1:00.46, to finish fourth in his 100m breaststroke semi-final and progress seventh overall to tomorrow’s decider (17.48 Irish time).
The National Centre (Dublin) swimmer said: "It’s good to get back for the final, seventh going back in and looking to move it on again with another faster time than the semis and heats.
"The goal heading into this meet was to get some good metre racing in and there’s no better way of practising your race skills, tactics and execution than racing itself."
Greene’s teammate in Dublin, Eoin Corby, was also competing in the same event, improving on his 1:01.39 from this morning to clock 1:00.89 and finish 11th in Europe.
Rising star Lottie Cullen, who made her first international appearance in her morning swim, was back on the backstroke ledges for the semi-final, the National Centre (Ulster) swimmer coming home 14th in 2:15.57, just outside her lifetime best of 2:14.10.
Cullen said: "I’m really happy with it for my first senior international semi-final, it was faster than this morning which was what I was hoping for and not far off my best either so I’m happy with that.
"Before going in I wanted to have fun with it and not put too much pressure on the time, and just focus on the race process, so I'm really happy with how it came out."
Like this morning, Max McCusker was the first Irish swimmer on the blocks this evening, featuring in the 50m butterfly semi-final.
The current Irish record holder came home in a time of 23.75 to finish a European 15th place. He will be back in the pool on Wednesday for the 100m butterfly.
McCusker said: "I’m a little bit disappointed to be honest, I thought I’d be a bit faster, but it is what it is."
Tuesday will see Shane Ryan, Oisin Tebite and Evan Bailey take to the blocks for the 100m freestyle heats. Ryan holds the fastest time of the trio in 48.49 after setting the Irish record at the recent Irish Open.
Niamh Coyne and Ellie McCartney compete in the 100m breaststroke. 17-year-old John Shortt, having competed in two senior World Championships already, makes his senior European debut in the 200m backstroke.
Nathan Wiffen gets his championships underway in the 800m freestyle and Cullen, Corby, McCartney and Cassin will combine for the 4x100m mixed medley relay.
In Diving, Clare Cryan gets the week underway for Ireland on the 1M Springboard.
