SWIMMING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:IRELAND'S RYAN Harrison narrowly missed making the final of the men's 200 metres freestyle final at the European championships in Budapest, Hungary, yesterday. The 21-year-old Derryman recorded a time of 1.49.04 seconds in the semi-final, 0.12 of a second shy of making the final and placed him in joint 10th overall and two places short of a top-eight berth.
Earlier Harrison had swum 1.49.80 in his heat and was placed 11th overall, well inside the top 16 semi-finalists but he was unhappy with his last 50 metres and needed to change his race plan. “Night and day” was how Harrison described the second race.
“It’s bitter-sweet. I went faster than I went in the heats and I’m not too disappointed. That semi-final was my all so I can’t be unhappy with my best swim this year and the best swim of my life without the (polyurethane) suit . . . it’s going to give me something to take away and get to swim faster for London 2012.”
Harrison has one more event, the men’s 100 metres freestyle, with the heats tomorrow.
Yesterday Clare Dawson had an indifferent 100 metres women’s freestyle. Her 57.72 seconds was some way short of her best time and she placed 44th overall.
However, the Co Down swimmer used the event as a tune-up for her main event the 200 metres freestyle, the heats of which are Friday.
Andrew Bree was due to swim the 200 metres individual medley yesterday (IM) but withdrew to concentrate on his favoured 200 metres breaststroke event today. He was concerned about his performance after the 100 metres breaststroke heats on Monday, saying he wasn’t transferring the feeling he had in the warm-up to the competition pool.
Norway’s Alexander Dale Oen went on to win the 100 breaststroke gold yesterday in a championship record of 59.20 seconds, fully three seconds quicker than Bree’s heat time.
Spain’s Rafael Munoz struck gold in the men’s 50 metres butterfly while Sweden’s Therese Alshammer won her 60th international title taking the women’s race.
Camille Lacourt of France set a European record to win the men’s 100 metres backstroke title in 52.11 seconds and Elizabeth Simmonds gave Britain their second gold of the week when she won the women’s 200 metres backstroke title in two minutes 7.04 seconds
Outside of Bree, the other Irish in action today are Gráinne Murphy in the 800 metres freestyle and Melanie Nocher in the 100 metres backstroke.
Irish Results
Heat 4 men's 200 Freestyle:
4th Ryan Harrison 1.49.80
Semi-Final: 6th Ryan Harrison 1.49.02
Heat 2 Women's 100 Freestyle:
5th Claire Dawson 57.72
