SWIMMING: Andrew Bree was denied a bronze medal by eight hundredths of a second when he finished fourth in the final of the men's 200 metres breaststroke at the European short course (25 metre) swimming championships in Reise, Germany.
The undoubted star of Irish swimming, the 21-year-old Tennessee-based student qualified sixth from the morning heats in a time of 2 minutes 11.96 seconds, but he looked tight in the last 50 metres of the morning swim, which was won by Italy's Davide Rommolo.
Maxim Podoprigora of Austria set the fastest time in the heats, almost three seconds faster than the other seven qualifiers, but it was much tighter from places two to eight with less than a second separating the remaining finalists.
Ireland hadn't taken a men's medal in a European championships since Gary O'Toole's silver, also in the 200 breaststroke, in Bonn back in 1989, and Bree seemed assured of at least the bronze medal until the final touch when Hungary's Richard Bodor, unseen out in lane one, produced a fine last 25 metres to take the bronze by point .08 of a second.
In an effort to keep place with the faster qualifiers in the inside lanes, Bree took the race out fast in the opening 100 metres and was second at the half-distance mark behind Podoprigora.
He was overtaken by Davide Rommolo of Italy at the 150 mark, but it looked as if the Irish swimmer would take at least a bronze medal as he led the rest of the field by at body length with the last leg to be swum.
Bree began to tie up in the last 25 and Bodor reached in to get the touch for a podium position. Bree's time of two minutes 10.70 seconds was enough to cut half a second off his Irish record.
Rommolo surprised Podoprigora to take the gold.
"This is what happens in swimming, it's down to the tightest of margins. I wish at this stage I was six foot eight and not six foot six," said a philosophical Bree after the race.
"I really thought I had the bronze but my finish wasn't good, but in reality I was really pleased with my race and my time, but I can tell you what, I will be practising my finishes from now on.
"I felt really good despite the fact I'm not shaved and tapered for this meet.The other guys are and I will have my revenge when the Europeans come to Dublin next year."
Bree swam in the morning session alongside Michael Williamson, a finalist in Valencia two years ago. Williamson, however couldn't repeat that feat and was down in 19th place overall in a time of two minutes 14.30 seconds.
Earlier in the day, William Carey broke the five-year-old Irish record for the men's 50 metres butterfly, winning his heat in a time of 24.56 seconds, cutting .11of a second off Andrew Reid's time, which was set in 1997.
Carey, who complained of feeling unwell throughout the week, was also just .1 of a second short of making the semi-finals and was placed 20th overall.
Julie Douglas and Emma Robinson swam exactly the same time of 26.17 seconds in the women's 50 metres freestyle, but that wasn't enough for either to progress to the semi-finals.
