Shortt Sets New Irish Record to Finish Fourth in European Final

Ireland’s John Shortt has set a new Irish Senior and Junior Record in the 200m Backstroke Final at the LEN European Junior Championships to finish in fourth place, narrowly missing a medal by .26 of a second.

A member of Bluefin SC (Galway), the 16-year-old, based at Swim Ireland’s National Centre in Limerick broke the Irish Record for the first time in yesterday’s heats in 1:58.65, tonight he lowered that time to 1:58.63, marking only his fourth time under the two-minute mark, three of which have come in the past two days.

Shortt is back in action tomorrow for the heats of the 100m Backstroke.

Ellie McCartney was also in finals action this evening, competing at her second European Junior Championships, McCartney was eighth in the 200m Breaststroke Final in 2:31.06. The National Centre Ulster and Ards swimmer posted her two fastest times ever in the event yesterday in the heats (2:30.01) and semi-final (2:29.43). McCartney will return to the pool tomorrow for the 100m Breaststroke heats.

Following their finals, both Shortt and McCartney were back in the pool as part of the Mixed 4x100m Medley Final. The duo were joined by Evan Bailey and Grace Davison finishing in seventh place in a time of 3:57.33

Earlier today, Davison competed in the 100m Freestyle heats, clocking 57.14, just .04 of a second off the semi-final while Alana Burns Atkin posted a time of 2:18.42 in the 200m Butterfly.

Day 4 Results:

100m Freestyle                       Grace Davison             57.14 (22)

200m Butterfly                       Alana Burns-Atkin       2:18.42 (28)

Mixed 4x100m Medley          John Shortt, Ellie McCartney, Evan Bailey, Grace Davison

3:56.73 (6)                              F 3:57.33 (7)

200m Backstroke       John Shortt                             1:58.65 (1)      SF 1:59.08 (4)  F 1:58.63 (4)

200m Breaststroke    Ellie McCartney                      2:30.01 (5)      SF 2:29.43 (8)   F 2:31.06 (8)

Day 5 Schedule

100m Freestyle                       Oisin Tebite, Evan Bailey, Conor Fitzgerald, Adam Colgan

100m Backstroke                   Cora Rooney

100m Breaststroke                Liam O’Connor

100m Breaststroke                Ellie McCartney, Molly Mayne

100m Backstroke                   John Shortt

50m Butterfly                         Alana Burns-Atkin

50m Butterfly                         Conor Fitzgerald, Adam Colgan, Dylan Registe, Evan Bailey

200m Individual Medley       Grace Davison, Ellie McCartney, Alana Burns-Atkin