Danielle Hill Posts Olympic Qualification Time With Irish 100m Backstroke Record In Dublin
Danielle Hill posted an Olympic qualification time (OQT) as she set an Irish 100m backstroke record of 59.11 at the Irish Open Swimming Championships in Dublin.
The 24-year-old became the first Irishwoman to go inside the minute mark as she booked a place on her second Olympic team at Paris 2024, three years after her debut in Tokyo, in what was also a championship record.
It was well within the A time of 59.99 and with that, Hill joined Daniel Wiffen, Ellen Walshe and Mona McSharry who have already achieved the OQT for Paris.
She said through Swim Ireland:
“We know all know what happened last time (Tokyo).
“I was so narrowly close. I think this time, I had that 59.99, the first Irish woman to go sub 1 minute, and I just wanted to cement it, I didn’t want any questions asked, I just went for it and thankfully dipped under.”
Qualifying for her second Games was extra special for Hill who had considered her future in the sport at the end of last summer.
“It’s pretty special I have to say, it’s probably a little bit more special than the first, because I know where I’ve been the past two or three years.
“I know where I was nine months ago, ready to walk away from the sport. This to me is a relief, but I’m ready to go again now.”
Daniel Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: G.Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
Hill’s record followed the Wiffen twins who traded championship marks in the 800 free.
Nathan clocked 7:56.40 to lower his own record of 8:03.79 before Daniel took to the water around 10 minutes later to post a new mark of 7:51.47.
The five-day event at the Swim Ireland National Aquatic Centre is a final chance for swimmers to achieve an OQT while also booking spots on the teams for next month’s European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and the World Short-Course Championships in Budapest in December.
In the men’s 100m Backstroke, Conor Ferguson was once again just outside the OQT of 53.74 clocking 54.12.
The Loughborough swimmer touched in 53.87 in this morning’s heats and will have another opportunity to lower that time in tomorrow’s Super Final.
National Centre Limerick’s Ellie McCartney was the fastest qualifier for Thursday’s 200m individual medley for tomorrow’s Super Final.
The 19-year-old clocked 2:14.92 to go under the consideration time for the European Championships next month.
Evan Bailey, Cormac Rynn and Jack Cassin were all under the European Championships consideration time in the men’s 200m freestyle.
Bailey, who set an Irish Junior Record of 1:48.49 in prelims, touched in 1:48.73, to qualify first for Thursday’s Super Final.
Rynn, who swims for National Centre Limerick and Trident qualified in 1:50.26, making it his first qualification for an international team, while Jack Cassin, also of National Centre Limerick, touched in 1:50.22.
2024 Paris Olympic Games
Olympic Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle), Ellen Walshe (200m IM), Mona McSharry (100m breaststroke), Danielle Hill (100m backstroke)
Women 4x100m Medley Relay, Men 4x100m Medley Relay*
* Two Olympic Qualification Times (OQT) are required from the team in order to confirm the Olympic place when invited
2023 European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, June 17th – 23rd
Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle), Ellen Walshe (200m, 400m IM, 100m butterfly), Mona McSharry (50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke), Evan Bailey (200m freestyle), Conor Ferguson (100m backstroke), Danielle Hill (100m backstroke), Ellie McCartney (200m IM), Cormac Rynn (200m freestyle), Jack Cassin (200m freestyle).