SWANS EXCEL AT SHORT COURSE NATIONALS

Taking a break from swimming at  at the Irish Short Course Championships in Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn, were   Cadan McCarthy, Cormac Powell (coach), Ella Fuohy and Mark Walsh, Mallow Swans Swimming Club.

Taking a break from swimming at at the Irish Short Course Championships in Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn, were Cadan McCarthy, Cormac Powell (coach), Ella Fuohy and Mark Walsh, Mallow Swans Swimming Club.

Mallow Swans Swimming Club was represented by three of the club’s senior swimmers in early December at the Irish Short Course Championships, held at Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn. This, the first nationals competition on the 2015/2016 swimming calendar, was an open competition, making reaching finals a huge achievement considering that our swimmers were competing against Rio Olympics hopefuls. Although swimming is an individual sport, athletes could not achieve their goals without the help and support of their families. Our swimmers were Ella Fuohy, Cadan McCarthy and Mark Walsh and they reached 14 finals from 15 events along with some impressive personal bests each day.

On Friday we saw our 3 swimmers starting valiantly with Ella Fuohy 4th in the B Final of the 100m Breaststroke, Cadan McCarthy 5th in the A Final of 200m Backstroke and 8th in the B Final of 400m Freestyle, and Mark Walsh coming first in the B Final of the 400m Freestyle and 7th in the A Final of 100m IM.

Saturday, the second day of the competition, saw Cadan McCarthy finish 4th in the A Final of the 200m Butterfly, qualifying for the B Final of the 200m IM, Ella Fuohy 6th in the B Final of the 50m Breaststroke and 2nd in the reserve B Final of the 100m IM, and Mark Walsh 6th in the A Final of the 200m IM and 3rd in the B Final of the 100m Freestyle.

The final day of swimming, Sunday, saw Cadan McCarthy 7th in the A Final of the 400m IM and 8th in the B Final of the 200m Freestyle, Mark Walsh 8th in the A Final of 200m Freestyle, and Ella Fuohy 5th in the B Final of the 200m Breastroke.

All the swimmers had a great weekend and Mallow Swans SC Coach Cormac Powell, who was there to give some last minute coaching and advice, was very happy with their efforts, as were their club coaches at home, Arif Yilmaz, John O’Donoghue and Kieran Cremin.