Irish Championships: Ellen Walshe Hits 58.32 100 Fly National Record During Heats

2023 IRISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, April 1st – Wednesday, April 5th
• Sport Ireland National Aquatic Center, Dublin, Ireland
• LCM (50m)
• World Championships Qualifier
• World Championships Selection Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

While competing in the heats on day one of the 2023 Irish Open Championships, Ellen Walshe produced a new national record in the women’s 100m butterfly event.

22-year-old Walshe put up a morning swim of 58.32 to claim the top seed, establishing a new lifetime best in the process. The Templeogue swimmer opened in 27.41 and closed in 30.91 to land lane 4 for tonight’s final to get under the 59-second barrier for the first time in her career.

Entering this meet, the University of Tennessee swimmer’s career-quickest and national record stood at the 59.32 she logged at the 2021 Irish Performance Meet. That former effort was comprised of splits of 28.18/31.14.

With the final yet to come Walshe’s 58.32 already narrowly dipped under the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 58.33 needed to qualify for this summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The time also now ranks Walshe as the 12th fastest swimmer in the world this season.

Additional top seeds of the morning included Shane Ryan nabbing the #1 spot in the men’s 50m back, hitting a result of 25.65 while Erin Riordan led the women’s 50m free heats with an AM time of 25.53.

European Record holder Daniel Wiffen produced a time of 3:51.17 to cruise to the #1 seed in the men’s 400m free, posting a new Championships Record in the process. The women’s 400m free leader was Grace Hodgins in a prelim time of 4:21.88.

Darragh Greene is approaching the 1:00 barrier in the men’s 100m breaststroke, capturing lane 4 with a morning swim of 1:00.39. Jack Cassin represented the sole men’s 200m flier to get under 2:00 in the heats, logging 1:59.66 heading into tonight’s final.