John Shortt Shatters National Records at Irish Winter Championships

John Shortt, the reigning European champion, set a remarkable new national record in the 200m individual medley on the opening day of the Irish Winter Swimming Championships held at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. The 18-year-old swimmer clocked a time of 1:55.80, surpassing his own Irish junior record of 1:57.39 and breaking the previous senior record of 1:56.74 held by Brendan Hyland since 2019. Shortt’s achievement solidifies his status as a leading figure in Irish swimming.

Shortt was the only competitor to finish under the two-minute mark in the event. His teammate, Cormac Rynn, secured second place with a time of 2:00.49, while Charlie Cassidy from Dolphin took third in 2:00.85. This record-breaking performance marks Shortt’s 17th and 18th Irish records set within the span of just one month, following his recent success at the European Short Course Championships in Poland, where he won gold in the 200m backstroke.

Another standout at the championships was Ellen Walshe, who also recently achieved European success. Walshe captured gold in the women’s 100m freestyle with a swift time of 53.18, narrowly missing the Irish record of 53.03. The podium for this event saw Grace Davison from Ards finish second in 53.61, and Danielle Farrell from National Centre Limerick in third place with 54.31.

Rynn, who previously claimed silver in the 200m individual medley, returned to the pool for the 100m freestyle, where he clinched gold in a time of 49.12 seconds. He was closely followed by Brandon Biss from National Centre Ulster, who earned silver with 49.36, and Oisin Tebite from NAC, who finished just behind in 49.38.

In the women’s 200m individual medley, Isabel Kidney from National Centre Limerick took gold in a competitive race, finishing in 2:15.25. The tight finish saw Kelly-Ann Brown from NAC come in second at 2:15.52, with Jena Macdougald from UCD finishing third in 2:15.86.

The women’s 800m freestyle final also featured impressive performances, with Skye Austin-Burrows dipping under the nine-minute barrier to win in 8:59.47. Abby Cunningham from Kilkenny followed in 9:04.36, while Eva Hand from Bangor completed the podium in 9:05.23.

In the men’s 200m butterfly, Jack Cassin from National Centre Limerick was the only swimmer to finish under two minutes, securing gold in 1:54.44. He was followed by Sean Donnellan from UCD in silver with 2:00.05, and Alex Barrett from Sundays Wells took bronze in 2:03.24.

The women’s 200m butterfly final saw Alana Burns-Atkin from National Centre Ulster take the title in 2:12.44, with Eva Bayley from New Ross finishing in second at 2:17.41 and Eva Hand claiming her second bronze of the evening in 2:22.65.

In the men’s 50m backstroke finals, Paddy Johnston from National Centre Limerick finished first in 24.84, followed by David O’Loughlin from UCD in 25.40, and Brandon Biss again from National Centre Ulster in third with 25.40.

The women’s final in the same event saw Lottie Cullen from National Centre Ulster take gold in 26.77, while Maria Godden from National Centre Limerick earned silver in 27.73 and a tie for bronze was recorded with both Jena Macdougald and Grace Davison finishing in 27.80.

To conclude the day, Eoin Corby from National Centre Limerick swept the men’s individual events by winning the 100m breaststroke in 58.60 seconds. Cody Dunnion from National Centre Ulster achieved silver in 1:00.68, with Morgan Berryman from Larne completing the podium in 1:01.01.

In the relay events, the men’s 4x200m freestyle saw the team from Lisburn City, consisting of Dylan Registe, Alfie Shawe, Christopher Mason, and Adam Colgan, take gold in 1:30.64. The women’s relay team from Larne, featuring Emily Hughes, Skye Austin-Burrows, Sophie Foran, and Sarah McNally, also excelled, winning with a time of 1:48.05 ahead of NAC and Sundays Well.

The Irish Winter Swimming Championships continue to showcase remarkable talent and record-breaking performances from the nation’s top swimmers.