McCartney wins gold at Euro Under-23 championship
Ellie McCartney took control of the race during the breaststroke leg [Getty Images]
Ellie McCartney won gold in the 200m individual medley at the European Under-23 Championships in Slovakia.
The 20-year-old from Enniskillen was third at the halfway stage of the race but surged into the lead during the breaststroke leg and ultimately finished in two minutes 12.5 seconds, 1.22 secs ahead of France's Bertille Cousson with Slovakia's Tamara Potocka in third.
Advertisement
"I wasn't expecting it. Coming in I knew I was fastest seed but I knew the other girls had faster times in them, their PBs were quite a bit faster than mine," she said.
"You just get in, race who's there on the day and get your hand to the wall first and to get my hand on the wall first is really exciting."
The European Under-23 Championships were first held two years ago when Irish swimmers Daniel Wiffen, Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe all won gold.
McCartney will return to the pool on Friday morning in the heats of the 100m breaststroke.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
More changes coming to USWNT roster ahead of Sunday matchup with Ireland
U.S. women's national team fans can expect more change from Emma Hayes this weekend as the national team prepares to face Ireland for the second time in four days in Cincinnati. The U.S. women's head coach told reporters in a brief media availability on Saturday that she will continue making changes with the roster, keeping with her theme of testing the depth of the national team's player pool. Advertisement The team continues its three-game week with the second of back-to-back friendlies against Ireland at TQL Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The team then heads to Washington, D.C., where they face continental rival Canada on Wednesday at Audi Field. When asked what Hayes will look for in her team during this window, she said: 'Progress, always. 'With that, when you play the same opponent twice in four days, is (seeing) how quickly you can learn. Not just about yourself, but when an opponent makes adaptations, how are you going to look to exploit that? So, (looking at those) details, looking for those things, particularly with the fact that I'm going to be making changes tomorrow.' Changes have become the norm for Hayes, who has seen 21 players debut on the senior team since she took over as head coach of the program last year. Advertisement The U.S. cruised to a 4-0 victory against Ireland on Thursday in a match that saw midfielder Rose Lavelle's triumphant return from injury as well as three debuts. Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey of Seattle Reign FC and left back Lilly Reale of Gotham FC earned starts in Colorado. Reign defender Jordyn Bugg also earned her first cap, subbing on late in the second half for captain Naomi Girma. The three remaining uncapped players on the roster heading into Sunday include Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, who did not dress for Thursday's game, Seattle Reign midfielder Sam Meza and Kansas City Current defender Izzy Rodriguez. This current USWNT roster is without some of its veteran stars. Hayes chose to give European-based players the summer off, describing this rest as a necessary break from long seasons in Europe. This is especially important as the team looks ahead to World Cup 2027 and the Olympics in Los Angeles the following year. Girma, who plays for Chelsea, is the only European-based player on the roster. The remaining 24 players on the roster play in the NWSL. Advertisement The match on Sunday is also serving as a homecoming for Lavelle, who hails from Cincinnati. The veteran midfielder had been absent from the pitch for six months, recovering from ankle surgery. She had an explosive return with the U.S. on Thursday, recording a goal and an assist in her first game back with the team. 'I think the structure in the team has allowed her game to elevate another level,' Hayes said, 'and what we saw the other night was how much we've missed her, even in the few months she's been out.' But Hayes cautioned that Lavelle's time on the pitch will continue to be managed. In their first match against Ireland, the midfielder was subbed off in the 59th minute. 'I have to, again, proceed with a bit of caution, because she's just coming back, so it's a really tight turnaround, and I'm going to have to manage things properly tomorrow for her,' Hayes said. 'But we're delighted to have her back.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. US Women's national team, NWSL, Women's Soccer 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Harvey Elliott gesture to Germany raises eyebrows after leading England to trophy
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott was seen gesturing to Germany after helping England retain its European Under-21 crown with another sublime performance for the Three Lions. Elliott, 22, scored the opening goal in a 3-2 win over Germany in the European Under-21 final, which was his fifth of the tournament. Elliott has been heavily linked with a move away from Liverpool this summer, with several Premier League teams interested in signing the talented midfielder. Advertisement The former Fulham star was also named Player of the Tournament for his heroics in Slovakia, which is expected to boost Liverpool's asking price should the club entertain a sale. However, Elliott hasn't just gone viral for his performances, but his conduct after the final whistle. READ MORE: Victor Osimhen prediction made after Liverpool 'opens dialogue' with Napoli over swap deal READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Reds 'close in' on Guehi, Schluter deal, fifth signing confirmed Elliott was seen cupping his hands to his ears and holding two fingers up before turning away. While some fans theorized that Elliott's gesture was rude, it more likely represents England now winning back-to-back U21 championships. Advertisement England beat Spain 1-0 in 2023 and defended the title against Germany on Saturday. England made the dream start when Elliott scored after five minutes, and Omari Hutchinson made it 2-0 shortly after. Germany hit back just before half-time through Nelson Weiper before Paul Nebel equalized after 61 minutes. Jonathan Rowe became England's hero in extra time, as he sealed the victory with his first touch of the game. Elliott's opener was his fifth of the tournament and his 14th as a member of the England U21s. Elliott has now scored more goals than Alan Shearer at U21 level, and is second on the all-time list behind Eddie Nketiah (16 goals from 2018-2021). Advertisement The 22-year-old was heavily praised by former England international Conor Coady, who said during Channel 4's coverage of the European Under-21 final: "I don't think he needs to help his confidence; I think he's a confident boy anyway and you see that at Liverpool week in, week out, when he plays. "We've seen that in this competition. We've said before about him being a leader - I think he's shown that he's a leader - but I think it's massively important the next step he takes in his career. Whatever he does now, whether that be at Liverpool or elsewhere, that he goes plays and plays a lot. "I think he's at that level now where he has shown to all of us and all the supporters that he is ready for that next level." Elliott's stock is at an all-time high after his stunning performance at the U21 Euros -Credit:2025 UEFA Coady's thoughts were echoed by former England star Jermain Defoe, who added: "He's one of the senior boys now. He's seen it and he's done it. To want to play it, first of all, credit to him, and to produce with a lot pressure… it's a massive summer. Advertisement "We don't know what he's going to do, I'm sure he will have loads of options because he is a quality player. But to do what he's done and Player of the Tournament, five goals… what a tournament." Defoe believes Elliott could leave Liverpool this summer and has urged him to become a star elsewhere if his future is away from Anfield. "There'll be a lot of clubs watching this tournament. We said it before, he's too good to not be playing," Defoe said. "When you're producing in big tournaments like this against the best players... he's a top, top player. For him, he just needs to go out and play, get himself in a team where he's one of the main players, and just go out and express yourself and show how good you are."
New York Times
6 hours ago
- New York Times
England beat Germany in thriller to retain Under-21 Euros title
England retained their European U21 Championship title with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Germany in the final in Bratislava, Slovakia. In front of watching senior team manager Thomas Tuchel, the holders squandered a 2-0 lead before substitute Jonathan Rowe — only introduced for the start of the additional 30 minutes — won it for England. Advertisement First-half goals from Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson had put the 2023 champions into a commanding position but Germany, who beat them in the group stage, fought back. Nelson Weiper headed in just before half-time and Paul Nebel's deflected strike levelled the scores after 61 minutes. Nebel thought he had won it in the third of four added minutes at the end of normal time, but his effort hit the crossbar. England made the most of that let-off and Lee Carsley's decision to introduce Rowe proved an inspired one. England's triumph is a second success at this level for U21 head coach Carsley, who guided them to victory in the final against Spain two years ago. What a moment for Rowe. Sometimes two touches are all you need to make a difference. His first was to kick off extra time and his second was to put England back ahead just a minute later. Called upon to replace captain James McAtee, who was forced off with cramp after a top performance of his own, Rowe has been a shining example of the value and importance of being a team player. Having just finished his first season at Marseille after coming through Norwich City's academy, Rowe is a more natural winger than centre-forward. Even so, he started every group game as one of the two players Carsley used up front. He lost his starting spot to Jay Stansfield in the knockout games, but has still contributed heavily in the minutes he has been given off the bench. His off-ball running was key to England closing out their quarter-final win against Spain, and led to a late penalty that secured their 3-1 win that night. After his goal in the final, he continued to use his body well to give his team a solid platform. He may not have been England's star name, but in the end it was Rowe's application that won them the tournament. England have had to grow into these Euros. They won their opening game against the Czech Republic 3-1, but a goalless draw against Slovenia and a 2-1 loss to Germany meant they finished second in their group. That theme did not come as a surprise to Carsley, who spoke before the tournament about finding more fluidity over the course of the Euros. That came after a switch from that 4-2-2-2 shape, where no natural centre-forwards were used, to a more conventional 4-2-3-1 in the knockout stages. Advertisement England were much more balanced and built off the momentum swing early in their quarter-final against Spain to breathe life into their campaign. The confidence that came from both the performance and result against Spain carried into their semi-final victory over the Netherlands, a game they largely dominated. That was evident again in the final, particularly in the way they started and looked so comfortable for such a long period in the first half. They were then able to show the resilience and fight to deal with being pegged back and their squad depth helped them over the line and to the trophy. One of Carsley's key messages before and during the tournament has been about not comparing this group to the one of 2023, but replicating the achievements of former England U21 manager Dave Sexton. Sexton, who managed Chelsea and Manchester United in the 1960s and 1970s, led England to back-to-back U21 European Championship wins in 1982 and 1984. Sexton's England sides beat West Germany and Spain in their finals, and as chance would have it, Carsley has faced Spain and Germany in his two finals. Rather than wanting to replicate Sexton to enhance his own reputation, Carsley sees the significance in producing players for the England seniors who are accustomed to winning. During the group stages, a line of his that stood out was that 'there's a difference between hope and belief'. The more often England youth teams reach these finals and win, the more he feels that will instil a belief that they can do similar for the senior team. The watching Tuchel will surely have liked what he saw. Elliott is the player who has symbolised England's tournament, growing in confidence with each match. He scored their first goal in the opening game, but seemed to be a square peg in a round hole in the group stage. Used between the lines where he could run from deep, he took charge in the knockouts. Advertisement His opener in the final — his fifth goal of the tournament — showed composure that comes from confidence and rhythm being built with consistent games over the past month. It would have been easy to snatch at the chance, but after two excellent finishes in the semi-finals, there was no doubt he would pick the right corner to bury this chance too. Ipswich Town's Hutchinson was just as deserving of his goal against Germany — he has arguably been England's most consistent attacking threat in Slovakia. Even when Carsley was using a 4-2-2-2 shape during the group stage, he dovetailed well with Tino Livramento to make things happen on the left. A consistent theme has been his willingness to dribble, with Carsley often shouting 'take him on' when the winger receives the ball. No player at the tournament had attempted more dribbles than Hutchinson going into the final (24), but it was the simplicity of his first-touch finish through the German keeper's legs that proved so effective on Saturday. Three other players have stood out for different reasons. Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson was influential when England were still finding their way in the group stages. Playing deeper in midfield, he was a vocal presence, but also played a variety of penetrative passes to create openings for his team-mates. Carsley said he was playing 'like a senior pro' and it was hard to disagree. He showed a different side to his game in the final, covering space well. Bournemouth's Alex Scott has been key beside Anderson, too. The 21-year-old put his body on the line in Slovakia, often flying through the air to block shots on the edge of his own box, before a foul from Germany captain Eric Martel forced him off early in the final. He helped England become more intense as the tournament progressed and showed great skill in midfield to keep things ticking over. Having worn a brace over his fractured jaw in all the games, that will surely be a prized piece of memorabilia for England's representative from the Channel Islands. Advertisement Finally, Brighton & Hove Albion's James Beadle has been instrumental in goal. The 6ft 7in (201cm) shot-stopper was crucial in the group stages, particularly in the goalless draw against Slovenia, as his saves ensured England were in a position to progress to the knockouts.
