Swimming: Irish men’s relay team in line for Olympic berth

Tokyo now beckons it seems after the men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay team twice broke the Irish senior record at the European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, nailing fifth in the final and with that putting themselves bang in contention for Olympic qualification.

Finn McGeever, Jack McMillan, Gerry Quinn and Jordan Sloan first broke the record in the heats, clocking 7:12.73: after re-jigging the starting order to McMillan, Sloan, McGeever and Quinn, the quartet then swam 0.73 seconds quicker in the final, clocking 7:12.00 and that fifth-place finish.

This Irish relay team left the 2019 World Championships ranked 16th, a position which would see them earn that last coveted Tokyo selection; this time again improves the chance of earning selection when FINA’s qualification period ends on May 31st.

No Irish swimming relay team has qualified for an Olympic Games since 1972, and no men’s Irish swimming relay team has ever qualified. Swim Ireland’s National Performance Director, Jon Rudd, said: “An Irish Senior Record again, one place higher than the heats and a time that puts us very much in the mix. Only time will tell now if that is the historic swim we were looking for.”

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Earlier, Mona McSharry produced another 100m Breaststroke under 67 seconds, touching in 1:06.58, she finished seventh in her final, only 0.37 seconds outside the medals.

McSharry has so far had a successful championships, having also helped Ireland to a new Irish Senior Record in the Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay on Monday. She is likely to be back on relay duty on Sunday in the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay.

Thursday sees the turn of the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay as the four 100m Irish Senior Record-holders in their strokes - Shane Ryan, Darragh Greene, Ellen Walshe and Danielle Hill - take to the blocks in the morning heats, also with Tokyo qualification in mind.