Ireland's Ellie McCartney wins gold at European Under-23 Championships
The 20-year-old from Enniskillen made it back-to-back wins for Irish swimmers in the event after Ellen Walshe won the inaugural edition in Dublin in 2023.
Third after the butterfly and backstroke legs, McCartney surged through her favoured breaststroke leg in 37.41 to hold an almost two-second lead going into the freestyle leg, a lead she never relinquished.
She won by 1.22 seconds in 2:12.50 over France's Bertille Cousson, smashing her previous PB of 2:14.09. That will see her considered for the Ireland team for World Aquatics Championships in Singapore as she dipped under the qualification time of 2:12.83.
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McCartney will be back in action on Friday morning in the heats of the 100m breaststroke.
Meanwhile, Mona McSharry swam a season's best 1:06.86 in the 100m breaststroke final to claim a silver medal at the prestigious Sette Colli meet in Rome. Britain's Angharad Evans took gold in 1:06.33.
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