Neamt Breaks Irish Record in Women’s 1500 by 8 Seconds, Earns Swimmer of the Meet Honor

Antoinette Neamt deservedly won the “Swimmer of the Meet” Award when she smashed the Irish Senior 1500m Freestyle Record on the final day of competition at the Irish Short Course Championships in Lisburn. Having set the previous record of 16:40.22 at the 2013 championships, Neamt knocked almost 8 seconds off that time to set a new record of 16:32.73 making her the swimmer closest to a world record throughout the championships and winner of the award. The 13 year old finished the meet with an Irish senior and two Irish junior records and three national titles.

Ards swimmer Emma Reid was also in record breaking form as she set a new Irish Junior Record in the 50m Butterfly Final. Reid broke Jane Roberts record of 28 seconds touching in 27.77. Bethany Firth picked up her third gold medal of the meet winning the event in 27.46 seconds. In the men’s equivalent Jamie Graham secured his fourth gold medal with a time of 24.75.

Bethany Carson showed incredible form to win all five events she had entered at the championships. The 23 year old added the 200m Freestyle to the 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly and 100m and 200m Individual Medley titles. Carson touched ahead of Antoinette Neamt (2:01.97) and Therese Corry (2:03.50) in 1:59.58 to take gold once again.

Larne Swimming Club teammates Danielle Hill and Conor Ferguson added to the 200m Backstroke titles they had won over the weekend with victories in the 100m Backstroke. Hill swam a time of 1:02.71 while Ferguson just missed out on adding the 100m Backstroke Irish junior record to his 200m record set on Friday, finishing in 54.75 seconds, ahead of UL Sport Performance Centre swimmers Rory McEvoy (56.46) and Alan Corby (56.59).

Swim Ireland NAC Performance Centre swimmers Lydia Kehoe and Ben Griffin won national titles in the 400m Individual Medley. Kehoe took the women’s event in 4:56.90 ahead of Galway’s Aoife Shorten (5:00.07). While Griffin held off another Galway swimmer Andrew Moore (4:25.78) to win in 4:23.20.

Brendan Gibbons cruised to a distance double today with a win in the 800m Freestyle Final. 19 year old Gibbons, who won the 1500m national title on Saturday, swam a personal best 8:04.33 with Ethan O’Brien of Limerick second in 8:15.63.

In the night’s final individual events Niamh Kilgallen of Claremorris pipped Dearbhail McNamara to the post in the 200m Breaststroke Final. Kilgallen’s time of 2:30.20 was just .6 of a second ahead of McNamara who touched in 2:30.84. In the men’s event Ards swimmer James Brown put in a strong last 25 metres to beat Andrew Moore (2:20.97) of Galway in 2 minutes 20.55 seconds.

Bangor men and Ards women won both the 4x50m Medley and 4x50m Freestyle Relays in the night’s final races.

Next up for Irish swimmers will be the Dave McCullagh Memorial Meet in March, which will be the first opportunity for Irish swimmers to qualify for 2015’s Summer Internationals including World Championships and European Games.

Day 3 Results

Women 1500m Freestyle Final: 1^st A Neamt Tallaght 16:32.73 ISR 2^nd K Baguley Glenalbyn 17:26.65 3^rd S Hickey Limerick 17:31.79 Men 800m Freestyle Final: 1^st B Gibbons Athlone 8:04.33 2^nd E O’Brien 3^rd 8:15.63 3^rd J McMillan Bangor 8:28.22 Women 400m IM Final: 1^st M Rosa MKS 4:48.96 2^nd L Kehoe New Ross 4:56.90 3^rd A Shorten Galway 5:00.07 Men 400m IM Final: 1^st B Griffin Aer Lingus 4:23.20 2^nd A Moore Galway 4:25.78 3^rd B Doyle Aer Lingus 4:26.55 Women 50m Butterfly Final: 1^st B Firth Ards 27.46 2^nd E Reid Ards 27.77 3^rd D Hill Larne 28.66 Men 50m Butterfly Final: 1^st J Graham 24.75 2^nd B Hyland Tallaght & C Munn Ards 24.92 Women 200m Freestyle Final: 1^st B Carson Lisburn 1:59.58 2^nd A Neamt Tallaght 2:01.97 3^rd T Corry Portmarnock 2:03.50 Men 200m Freestyle Final: 1^st J Sloan 1:48.06 2^nd B Hyland Tallaght 1:48.78 3^rd C Coulter Ards 1:48.99 Women 100m Backstroke Final: 1^st D Hill Larne 1:02.71 2^nd B Firth Ards 1:03.85 3^rd L Fleming Kells 1:04.07 Men 100m Backstroke Final: 1^st C Ferguson Larne 54.75 2^nd R McEvoy Ennis 56.46 3^rd A Corby Limerick 56.59 Women 200m Breaststroke Final: 1^st N Kilgallen Claremorris 2:30.20 2^nd D McNamara Castlebar 2:30.84 3^rd F Harling Aer Lingus 2:32.82 Men 200m Breaststroke Final:  1^st J Brown Ards 2:20.55 2^nd A Moore Galway 2:20.97 3^rd D Greene ESB 2:21.17 Women 4x50m Medley Relay: 1^stArds  2:00.79 2^nd Larne 2:03.89 3^rd Templeogue 2:05.09 Men 4x50m Medley Relay: 1^st Bangor 1:43.76 2^nd Ards 1:43.80 3^rd ESB 1:48.17 Women 4x50m Freestyle Relay: 1^st Ards 1:48.57 2^nd Trojan 1:52.00 3^rd Templeogue 1:52.52 Men 4x50m Freestyle Relay:  1^st Bangor 1:33.91 2^nd ESB 1:36.58 3^rd NAC 1:36.99

The above is a press release submitted by Swimming Ireland.