Ireland wrap up a strong week in Budapest with another record in the pool

Ireland wrapped up a successful European Aquatics Championships in Budapest with the Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay finishing seventh in their final, breaking another senior record in the process.

Shane Ryan, Darragh Greene, Brendan Hyland and Jack McMillan set a new Irish Senior Record of 3:34.62 in the heats, and went under 3:35.00 for a second time with their final time of 3:34.88.

Ireland’s goal for these championships was to qualify an Olympic relay team for the first time since 1972 and they leave the Duna Arena having set new Irish Senior Records in every relay event they competed in, including six Olympic relay events - the Men’s and Women’s 4x100m Medley and Freestyle Relays, the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay and the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay.

There are four remaining spots up for grabs in all Tokyo 2021 Olympic relays and Ireland’s Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay and Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay have given themselves a good chance of taking one of those spots.

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Swim Ireland’s National Performance Director, Jon Rudd, who was in Budapest, said: “In terms of this final evening, we were again very pleased to be in the final, amongst the best in Europe, who form the majority of the top teams in the world in this event.

He added: “Overall, we are exceptionally pleased with how this group of athletes have progressed and galvanised into a unit that has re-written almost all of the Irish Senior Relay records this week. Two of our teams must now wait patiently to see if an Olympic invite is forthcoming.”

Olympic relaying qualifying ends on May 31st, and news is expected from FINA, the world aquatics governing body, shortly afterwards as to which nations have made the cut.