Ellen Walshe Continues Golden Streak At Flanders Cup; Jacob Whittle Edges Tom Dean In 100 Free
Ellen Walshe continued her golden bull run and Jacob Whittle edged out Tom Dean on the second day of the Flanders Swimming Cup 2024.
Walshe – who won three titles on the opening day – rattled the Irish 5o fly record en-route to gold in 26.82, 0.20secs outside Mona McSharry’s 26.62 national standard from July 2019.
She then returned for the 400IM where she led from start to finish and was never remotely threatened, stopping the clock in 4:42.85.
Ambre Franquinet (4:51.47) and Sarah Dumont (4:58.77) were next home while Yanieck Weijland took the men’s title in 4:28.09.
Jacob Whittle: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming
Whittle turned 0.05 ahead of Dean as the men’s 100 free brought the second evening to a close at the Olympic Swimming Centre Wezenberg Antwerp.
The 19-year-old, who was the youngest Team GB swimmer at the Tokyo Olympics, came home in 25.34 to take the touch in 49.08 to Dean’s 49.14.
It was a second Flanders Cup title for Whittle who won the 50 free on Friday while Ed Mildred made it a Bath Performance Centre clean sweep in 50.22.
Niamh Coyne got the touch ahead of the fast-finishing Ellie McCartney in the 100m breaststroke to lead home an Irish 1-2 in 1:09.87 to 1:09.93.
Grace Palmer took third in 1:10.42.
Victoria Catterson continued the golden streak for Swim Ireland as she added the 100 free to her 200 title after coming from third at the turn to take the win in 56.13.
Lotte Vanhauwaert was second in 56.61 with Grace Davison the second Irish athlete on the podium in 56.62.
Adela Piskorska added the 200 back title to the 50 she won on Friday, dominating throughout to win in 2:11.01 ahead of Swim Ireland’s Maria Godden (2:15.16).
Lucas Matzerath added the men’s 50m breaststroke to the 100 he won on the opening night in 28.09 with Bram Zwetsloot claiming his second runners-up spot in as many days in 28.39.
Cornelius Jahn won the men’s 50 back in 25.11 ahead of Stan Franckx (25.49) and Jonathan Adam (25.73) while Kevins Alexandre Apseniece won the men’s 200 fly in 2:00.34.