Enniskillen swimmer Ellie McCartnery has been included in a 13-strong Ireland swimming team that will take part in next month’s World Aquatics Championships (25m) in Budapest, Hungary.
The Championships run from 10-15 December and McCartney, who made it to three finals at the European Championships in Belgrade in June, will draw on that experience.
“I obviously knew beforehand, but it was definitely good to get the call-up this morning, officially. It’ll be my first time competing on the world stage which is quite the jump from Europeans, so hopefully it goes well.
“It’s all the same skills so hopefully the experience from Europeans will help transfer over to this.
“Myself and four others from the National Centre, Limerick are going and four out of the five of us actually live in the same house! Living together, working together, achieving things as a team it’s helping us push each other on.
“Because it is my first World Championships I’m going in with an open mind, mostly just gaining experience and learning from others that have been in the team at Paris and some of those other higher-level events.
“Hopefully getting near my personal best would be good because it’ll be tough to come out of the heats with them only doing finals at this competition. It’s about taking advantage of the opportunity and experience.
2024 Olympic Finalist Ellen Walshe will lead the team and will be Ireland’s premier hope of a podium finish after finishing with a silver medal at the 2021 World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
With both Olympic Champion and bronze medallists Daniel Wiffen and Mona McSharry opting not to compete in the Hungarian capital on this occasion. Walshe is clearly on early season form, having set an Irish Senior Record in the 100m Individual Medley in recent days.
Joining Walshe on the team will be Olympic semi-finalist and current European Champion Danielle Hill and Olympic semi-finalist Tom Fannon, with three time Olympian Shane Ryan and his Paris teammate Max McCusker also confirmed to the Irish team.
2024 European Championships finalists Evan Bailey, Jack Cassin, Eoin Corby, Nathan Wiffen, Lottie Cullen, Ellie McCartney and John Shortt join the fray, with Shortt being the newly minted Irish Senior Record Holder in the 200m Backstroke this past weekend.
Jon Rudd, Swim Ireland’s National Performance Director said,
“In the months following an Olympic Games, this event is a very individualised affair, with some athletes ready and raring to go again and others needing additional time to regroup and refresh after a hectic summer, particularly one which proved to be the best ever for Ireland in Olympic waters. And this will be the same the world over, so we will see some events Budapest boast familiar names and some events where break-throughs can very much be made and opportunities taken. Irish swimming is in great shape, brimming with confidence and this is a very exciting group of athletes to take into a Championships such as this as we build towards the 50m-pool version of the event in Singapore next summer.”
Swim Ireland Team for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships
Evan Bailey National Centre Limerick
Jack Cassin National Centre Limerick
Eoin Corby National Centre Limerick
Niamh Coyne National Centre Dublin
Charlotte Cullen University of Houston
Tom Fannon National Centre Dublin
Danielle Hill Larne
Ellie McCartney National Centre Limerick
Max McCusker Millfield School
Shane Ryan National Centre Dublin
John Shortt National Centre Limerick
Ellen Walshe Templeogue
Nathan Wiffen Loughborough University
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