Swimmers broke 6 Irish national records and 8 junior records at the short course national meet this weekend, including two national records each for Andrew Meegan and Shauna O’Brien.
Meegan became the first Irish man under 8 minutes in the 800 free (short course meters), going 7:59.92 to break the national record and win a national championship in one fell swoop. He also won the 1500 free in 15:11.69, another Irish record.
O’Brien set records in the 50 fly (27.14) and 100 fly (59.38). She was also a part of the record-breaking 400 medley relay team from University College Dublin swim club, splitting 59.8 on the butterfly leg for the relay, which blew away the national record by three seconds. Her teammates were Aisling Cooney, Shani Stallard and India McGlynn.
The last national record went to Brendan Hyland in the men’s 200 fly (1:59.43).
Brian O’Sullivan of UCD set 5 Irish junior records over the course of the weekend, including two in back-to-back events, the 50 back (24.88) and 200 IM (2:01.94) on Saturday night. He also broke the 50 free (22.94) and 100 IM (55.85) records on Friday and the 100 back (54.17) on Sunday.
Brendan Gibbons broke two records of his own – he followed Meegan in during his record-breaking 800 free, taking second place with a junior record of 8:06.29. He also set a junior record of 3:53.26 in the 400 free while taking third place.
Only one women’s junior record was set at the meet, by 12-year-old Antoinette Neamt in the 1500. (Swim Ireland defines women’s junior records as ages 16 and younger. The men’s records are still for swimmers 18 or below.) She went 16:40.22, blowing away the field by 40 seconds en route to her Irish junior record and national championship.
Many of Ireland’s top swimmers used this meet to tune up for the European championships happening later this month.
