Dec 16,2024
Galway teenager John Shortt posted a new Irish record as the curtain came down on the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest.
There were just three Irish swimmers in action on the final day of short-course swimming in the Hungarian capital, with Shortt clocking a new national record of 1:51.60 in the men's 200m backstroke, shaving exactly a second off his previous best set last month.
The 17-year old placed second in his heat and was 12th fastest overall but only eight progressed directly to the final.
"I'm feeling good, two really good swims in one week," Shortt told Swim Ireland afterwards. "My past two World Championships, some swims have been quite disappointing, so to be coming here and getting two personal bests and being 12th in the world is really cool, I’m really delighted with it."
Belfast's Lottie Cullen took a whopping five seconds off her personal best in the women's 200m backstroke.
Cullen touched the wall in a time of 2:05.57, placing 13th overall across the heats, and establishing herself as Ireland's second fastest ever swimmer in the event, behind Melanie Nocher.
Earlier this morning, New Ross swimmer Evan Bailey also mustered a personal best time in the men's 200m freestyle. Bailey clocked 1:43.61 to finish fifth in his heat and 18th overall.
Team Ireland depart Budapest with one medal, Shane Ryan claiming bronze in the 50m backstroke, as well as 15 new Irish records, eight of them coming courtesy of Ellen Walshe, who reached the finals of the 100m butterfly and the 400m medley respectively.
Reflecting on the week, Swim Ireland National Performance Director Jon Rudd adjudged it an "exceptional week" for the Irish team, especially given the absence of Olympic medallists Daniel Wiffen and Mona McSharry.
"This has been six exceptional days of racing from this Irish team, with so much achieved across 11 sessions of racing - and none more so that Shane Ryan taking home a world medal, his first in six years, and Ellen Walshe demonstrating her incredible resilience and versatility as she smashed Irish senior records on eight occasions across the meet.
"When you arrive at a World Championships without your two Olympic medallists on the team, some might have wondered if the nation would feature strongly; this group put that concern to bed very quickly."
