Danielle Hill sets new Irish record en route to final

Danielle Hill confirmed her place as Ireland's fastest ever female swimmer as she broke the Irish 50m freestyle record on her way to qualifying for Sunday's final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Swimming next to the current Olympic champion Emma McKeon of Australia, Hill finished third in the first semi-final, clocking 25.15 and knocking 0.04 off her own 2021 Irish record of 25.19.

The Larne swimmer was sixth overall after the second semi-final, with the top eight progressing. Australia’s Shayna Jack is the top seed for the final in 24.33.

Hill was back in the pool an hour later for the 100m backstroke semi-final. The 22-year-old was fifth in the first semi-final in 1:01.74, and after semi-final she was ninth overall, missing out on the final by 0.03 with the last place going to South Africa’s Rebecca Meder in 1:01.71. Hill will be first reserve for Sunday's final.

She made a third appearance of the night in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final where she combined with Victoria Catterson, Grace Davison and Victoria Catterson to finish in sixth place in 3:47.24.

Hill and Davison return to the pool on Sunday with Kaitlyn McCaw for the 50m butterfly heats while Jack McMillan goes in the 100m freestyle. Siomha Brady will swim the 100m backstroke S8 Final at 19.35.