Longford’s Gerry Quinn produces superb swim for Ireland’s freestyle relay team in European final

The outstanding Irish athletes broke the Irish Senior Record twice in the same day at the LEN European Aquatics Championships and put themselves bang in contention for Tokyo 2021 Olympic qualification.

Finn McGeever, Jack McMillan, Gerry Quinn and Jordan Sloan stormed through the heats in a new Irish Senior Record time of 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 to clock 7:12.00 and earn a final finishing position of 5th in Europe.

This Irish relay team left the 2019 World Championships ranked 16th in the world, a position which would see them earn that coveted Tokyo 2021 selection. Whilst much has happened since then, their performances in Budapest have given Ireland the best possible chance of earning selection for the Olympic Games when FINA’s qualification period ends on May 31.

Swim Ireland’s National Performance Director, Jon Rudd, said: “We couldn’t have asked any more from those four boys tonight – commitment to the cause, performing for each other and for the collective.

“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.”

No Irish swimming relay team has qualified for an Olympic Games since 1972, and no men’s Irish swimming relay team has ever qualified.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, Mona McSharry swam yet another 100m Breaststroke under 67 seconds in the European Championships Final. Touching in 1:06.58, she finished 7th in Europe and only 0.37 seconds outside the medals.

Having become the first Irish female to break 67 seconds at the Irish National Team Trials in April to earn the Olympic Consideration Time for Tokyo 2021, she has now achieved five swims under that time, and continues to hold the Irish Senior Record of 1:06.29 as the Olympic Games approach.

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.

 Darragh Greene in relay action 

On this Thursday it’s the turn of the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay as the four 100m Irish Senior Record-holders in their strokes – Shane Ryan, Longford's Darragh Greene, Ellen Walshe and Danielle Hill – take to the blocks in the morning heats.