Daniel Wiffen spearheads Irish team at European Aquatics Championships

A team of 17 Irish swimmers, including Daniel Wiffen, Ellen Walshe, Shane Ryan and Danielle Hill, will compete at the European Aquatics Championships (25m) in Otopeni, Romania, with the six-day event getting under way on Tuesday.

The team has been selected to provide both senior and junior athletes to benefit from international racing prior to the long course season commencing.

For the first time, twins Daniel, ranked number one the world at this point in the season in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle, and Nathan Wiffen, will compete on an Irish team together, whilst juniors John Shortt, Ellie McCartney and Grace Davison will be familiar names from recent European Junior and Commonwealth Youth Games campaigns.

With a World Championships on the horizon in February and the Paris Olympic Games in July, some athletes, including Mona McSharry, Darragh Greene and Conor Ferguson have opted not to compete on this occasion in favour of the training pool.

The opening day of competition will see 13 Irish in action. Ellen Walshe opens proceedings in the 400m individual edley, followed by the Wiffen brothers in the 400m freestyle. Irish senior record holder Danielle Hill, alongside Erin Riordan, Victoria Catterson and junior record holder Grace Davison will swim the heats of the 50m freestyle.

Shane Ryan and John Shortt will compete in the 50m backstroke, an event in which Ryan was a bronze medallist in 2019. Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Ellie McCartney swims the 100m breaststroke, while Max McCusker, Evan Bailey and Dylan Registe are entered in the 100m butterfly heats.

Day 1 schedule (Heats from 7.30am; finals from 4pm - Irish time)

Women's 400m individual medley: Ellen Walshe
Men’s 400m freestyle: Daniel Wiffen, Nathan