Both record new personal bests in qualifying for the finals
Irish swimmers Ellen Keane and Nicole Turner both swam lifetime bests in the morning heats of their respective 100m breaststroke at the Paralympic Swimming World Championships in Glasgow today to qualify for tonight’s finals.
Thirteen year old Turner was first up in the sole heat of the 100m Breaststroke (SB6 class*) and showed no sign of fatigue after her fifth place in last night’s 400m Freestyle final. The Laois Marlins club swimmer knocked over four seconds off her previous best in this her preferred event of the six she is contesting this week. She finished fifth in a time of 1:48.24 securing a berth in her second World Championship final in the space of as many days.
Keane was the second Irish swimmer racing this morning and also produced a lifetime best performance impressively winning the second heat of the 100m Breaststroke (SB8 class*) in 1:22.97; shaving two hundredths of a second off the previous time she set at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Great Britain’s Clare Cashmore; reigning European Champion won the first heat in a time of 1:21.76 and double Paralympic champion Russian Olesia Vladykina looked very comfortable finishing behind Keane to book her spot in the final. This is Dubliner Keane’s leading event and she will be hopeful of challenging for a place on the podium after this morning’s heats.
Keane’s final is at 8.49pm with Turner’s preceding that at 6.59pm. Both can be viewed live on our dedicated page on our website
Keane also lined up in the heats of the 100m Freestyle (S9) this morning prior to the breaststroke heat. She finished in eighth place and did not advance to the final.
These Championships are a key milestone on the road to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games qualification. Swimmers who win gold and silver in their events earn automatic qualification slots for their country. For the others the highest possible finish is vital as the remaining slots are allocated based on world rankings in 2016.
All the heats and finals will be shown live on www.glasgow2015.com
The Irish team is proudly sponsored by Allianz; an official sponsor of Paralympics Ireland.
Irish Results 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships, Tues 14th July
Nicole Turner, 5th in heat of Women’s 100m Breaststroke (SB6class), through to final
Ellen Keane, 8th in heat of Women’s 100m Freestyle (S9 class)
Ellen Keane, 1st in heat of Women’s 100m Breaststroke (SB8 class), through to final
Irish schedule – Evening session; Tuesday 14th July
6.59pm Nicole Turner, Women’s SB6 100m Breaststroke final
8.49pm Ellen Keane, Women’s SB8 100m Breaststroke final
Irish Team for 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships, 13th-19th July, Glasgow
Ellen Keane, S9 class, NAC swim club, from Clontarf, Dublin 3
Ailbhe Kelly, S8 class, NAC swim club, from Castleknock, Dublin 15
James Scully, S5 class, NAC swim club, from Ratoath, Co. Meath
Jonathan McGrath, S8, Limerick High Performance Swim team, from Killaloe, Co.Clare
Darragh McDonald, S6, UCD Swim team, from Gorey, Co.Wexford
Nicole Turner, S6, Laois Marlins Swim team, from Portlaoise, Co.Laois
Staff
Jim Laverty, National Coach
Hayley Burke, Team Manager
Mary Seery, Team support
Alan Swanton, Performance Analyst
Jon Faulkner, Physiotherapist
Ciara Sinnott O’Connor, Physiologist
