Sport

Ellen Walshe finishes fifth and sixth in Saturday finals at World Championships

Walsh leaves Budapest having set eight new Irish short-course records over the week

Ireland's Ellen Walsh finished fifth in the 400m individual medley and sixth in the 100m butterfly finals at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest on Saturday. Photograph: Andrea Masini/Inpho
Ireland's Ellen Walsh finished fifth in the 400m individual medley and sixth in the 100m butterfly finals at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest on Saturday. Photograph: Andrea Masini/Inpho
Sat Dec 14 2024 - 19:12

Ellen Walshe ended her World Championships by finishing fifth in the 400m individual medley and sixth in the 100m butterfly to complete a great week in Budapest in which she set eight new Irish records.

Walsh came home sixth in the 100 fly in 55.68, just outside her new Irish record of 55.50 from the semi-final, and an hour later she was back for the 400 IM where she touched fifth in 4:29.86.

Walshe said: “I’m happy enough, I knew tonight would be tough with a lot of fatigue in my legs, but happy to come away with fifth and sixth in each of the events.’

Asked about her impressive week, she added: “I can’t really remember right now. I’m definitely feeling it, but yeah, I’ve had a great week. And I couldn’t have probably asked for more, it’s a pity there wasn’t a bit more in the 400 [IM] but considering the week that I’ve had, I can’t really expect much more.”

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Nathan Wiffen confirmed his first top eight world placing in his first World Championships in the 800m freestyle fastest heat. Wiffen was just off his personal best of 7:34.78, clocking 7:35.92 to finish fifth in the heat and eighth overall.

The 23-year-old Loughborough swimmer said: “I was a bit over my time, but last race of the short-course season for me and I’m happy enough I’ve come away from the competition with a PB in the 1,500 [freestyle], it was a bit unexpected, and I think yeah overall I’m pretty happy.’

Shane Ryan closed out his week with his second fastest swim in the 50m freestyle semi-finals. Ryan, who won 50m backstroke bronze on Friday, had secured the semi-final place in a new Irish Record of 21.07. In the first semi-final, he clocked 21.28 for eighth place.

Ryan returns to Ireland with a bronze medal and three new Irish records in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke.

“Tonight I swam it a bit different, I tried to be a bit more aggressive but then you slip and I’m not really an aggressive type of person,” said Ryan of his swim. “I’m big and I like gripping the water a bit more so I think I need to use my strengths, but hey it’s a 50, so it was fun and great to make it to the semi-final.”

On his overall World Championships, he added: “I came in with not a lot of race experience for the year. I had a goal you know set, trying to be faster and faster and faster and I’m in some of the best shape of my life at the moment. I’m going PBs and I’m going to try and continue this over the Christmas and gear up for Singapore [World Championships] in the summer. I have a really good mentality right now and I’m happy, so yeah, it’s great.”

On Sunday, the final day of competition in Budapest, Evan Bailey and Lottie Cullen make their World Championship debuts in the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke respectively. John Shortt returns for the 200m backstroke having set a new Irish junior record in the 100m backstroke earlier in the week. The 17-year-old is the Irish record holder in the event, having lowered his own record of 1:54.02 to 1:52.62 last month.