What a way to end the party of progress in the Irish swimming shoal at the Open Championships in Dublin this evening: a 25.24 blast in the 50m backstroke from 18-year-old Conor Ferguson for another race at world titles in July – and a national record in the 200m medley from 20-year-old James Brown – a cue for them all to be singing "I feel good! da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da…" if ever there was one.
Not content with two Irish records, on 1:59 in heats then 1:58 in the finals of the 200m backstroke for a ticket to world championships, he added to that and his win over 100m, a 25.24 Irish Junior record in the curtain-closer in the 50m backstroke for 7th on the season world rankings.
As the Open came to close, the Larne specialist's new career high, 0.1sec inside his previous best was good for another swim at world championships in Budapest. He was in a league of his own, David Prendergast second in 26.69, and Irish record holder at a 25.24 Irish Junior record in the curtain-closer in the 50m backstroke for 7th on the season world rankings, Shane Ryan, not there to provide a hare.
And then there was Brown with an Irish record of 2:02.90 in the 200m medley. The 20-year-old, coached by Andy Manley at Loughborough University, paced to his new high through splits of 26.37, 57.63 (31.26) 1:32.91 (35.28)and 29.99. Just like he knew he would – get that! Last year he was a teen on a best of 2:05.18.
Brown, Ferguson and Mona McSharry, on 2:29 over 200m breaststroke, brought the Irish Record tally to 10 senior and 7 junior records. The senior standards fell to Brown, Jordan Sloan (100m, 200m Freestyle), Brendan Hyland (100m, 200m Butterfly), Ferguson (200m Backstroke x2) and three relay records from Bangor Swimming Club. The junior marks went to Ferguson (200m Backstroke x 2, 50m Backstroke), McSharry (50m, 100m, 200m Breaststroke) and a Kilkenny relay that showcased talent coming through the ranks.
Much to smile about in the Irish ranks at the start of a new era under the leadership of Jon Rudd, who would be the first to say that his job has barely begun, a tour of the country talking to coaches and explaining how to take the pace of the national program on apace just ended.
Conor Ferguson – courtesy of InPho Photography and Swim Ireland
Ferguson, on 1:58.80 in the 200m backstroke, and Co are part of a new wave at the outset of their own journey. Exiting times ahead.
In other action on the last session of finals, there was a brace of dash wins for Ferguson's Larne teammate Danielle Hill, first on 26.18 in the 50m free before a 28.83 in the 50m backstroke.
Mona McSharry, her own world-title ticket in the bag with an Irish record in the 100m breaststroke, added the 200m title to her tally for a sweep, the dash also in the 16-year-old's treasury. The time on the clock, 2:29.22 got inside her 2:29.98 set earlier this year, beyond a 2:31.47 high last year.
In the men's 200m breaststroke, Nicholas Quinn was a class apart, on 2:14.07, and there were wins, too, for Calum Bain, on 22.78 in the 50m free; Shannon Russell, 15, on 2:19.69 in the 200m medley. Rachel Bethel, 17, collected her fourth Irish title of the meet, on 17:21.13. in the 1500m freestyle after wins in the 200, 400 and 800m
Rio Olympians Shane Ryan and Fiona Doyle, based in the US, are racing elsewhere to qualify for world titles. So far, Swim Ireland is looking at 38 names who have raced inside target times for the spectrum of international ahead: World Championships, World University Games, World Junior Championships, European Junior Championships.
Rudd, Swim Ireland's new National Performance Director summed up by saying:
Source: www.bing.com"This has been a wonderful four days for Swim Ireland, particularly for the athletes and their coaches. The standard of swimming across the board has exceeded all expectations and we have a number of world class athletes within our midst. I sense already something of a culture shift; fast heats, faster finals, a sense of urgency and focus on deck. We're gaining momentum in such a short space of time and once you get something moving in such a positive fashion, you can only go from strength to strength"
