Sport

Fiona Doyle disappointed after failing to make European final

Limerick swimmer finishes in 13th position in 100 metres breaststroke

Fiona Doyle of Ireland (left) and Jessica Vall Montero of Spain compete in the women’s 100m Breaststroke preliminaries at the 32nd LEN European Swimming Championships 2014 at the Velodrom in Berlin. Photograph: David Ebener/EPA
Fiona Doyle of Ireland (left) and Jessica Vall Montero of Spain compete in the women’s 100m Breaststroke preliminaries at the 32nd LEN European Swimming Championships 2014 at the Velodrom in Berlin. Photograph: David Ebener/EPA
John Kenny in Berlin
Tue Aug 19 2014 - 11:53

Limerick's Fiona Doyle was the first Irish swimmer to emerge from the morning heats at the European Swimming championships in Berlin, but there it ended as Doyle was well outside the required time to secure a place in the top eight after the semi-finals of the women's 100 metres breaststroke

The 22-year-old finished seventh in Tuesday night’s semi-finals in 1:08.49, placing her 13th of the 16 swimmers.

Earlier in the day the University of Calgary based Doyle finished fourth in her heat but wasn’t happy with her placing of 10th overall, citing nerves as the reason for a swim that wasn’t up to what she had expected.

Last night the Irish record holder swam slightly faster in the last 16, this after taking it out fast and turning at the 50 metre mark in third place.

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But Doyle couldn’t maintain that pace over the back half of the race and faded badly to finish in seventh place and some way short of making today’s final.

She was very upset after her swim and it continues a disappointing meet so far for the Irish swimmers in the pool.

“I’ve been training all year for this event and I feel like I have let people down,” said a dejected Doyle.

“I tried. I knew I had to take it out strong and try to take it home, but it didn’t happen for me.

“I’m not sure why, training has been going well. I guess we will have to look at the video and try to figure out what went wrong and take it on now to the 50 and 200 breaststroke.

“I’m hoping that this won’t dictate how the rest of the meet will go and I want to make everybody proud.

“I want to make a final.”

Earlier Sycerika McMahon, finished an agonising 17th overall in the same event.

McMahon too was visibly upset at not making the top 16, pointing to the fact that she missed her finish, gliding into the touch, which cost her a place.

The 2012 European silver medallist will hope to make some amends when she competes in the heats of the 200 metres individual medley this morning.

Tallaght's Brendan Hyland was back in action in the heats of the men's 200 freestyle but was well short of making the last 16.

However, Hyland wasn’t expected to advance as he is a butterfly specialist, but once again he used the event to add to his growing international experience and as a platform for his main event, Wednesday’s 200 metres fly.

Ireland’s other competitors on Wednesday will be Dan Sweeney and Nicholas Quinn who are both competing in the heats of their main event, the men’s 200 metres breaststroke.