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Nocher makes it to second semi

SWIMMING/European Championships: MELANIE NOCHER showed the recent progression in Irish swimming remains on an upward curve as…

Fri Mar 21 2008 - 00:00

SWIMMING/European Championships:MELANIE NOCHER showed the recent progression in Irish swimming remains on an upward curve as she reached her second semi-final of the week, the women's 100 metres backstroke, at the European Championships at Eindhoven in the Netherlands yesterday.

Nocher finished 15th of the 16 swimmers in the semi-finals in 1.03.52 seconds, slower than her Irish record in the heats. Laure Manadou, who is looking for the 100/200 metres backstroke double, broke the European record in a time of 59.50 seconds.

Nocher is still in tough training and it perhaps caught up with the 19-year-old last night. She admitted afterwards she swam as hard as she could, but it just wasn't there yesterday.

"I have a mixture of emotions after that swim," she said. "I tried as hard as I could and I'm a bit disappointed it was slower than the heats. But I realise I have got a lot to learn and I'm concentrating now on the next eight weeks or so before the Irish Nationals where I hope to make the Olympic A qualifying standard."

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Nocher had earlier pulled out of the heats of the 200 metres individual medley to concentrate on the 100 metres backstroke and it paid off as she set a record of 1:03.16 to qualify for the last 16 in 11th place.

Ireland could have had two swimmers in tonight's semi-finals but Aisling Cooney, who not only won her heat but initially broke the Irish record, placed 17th overall and missed out on a semi-final spot by .06 of a second.

Gráinne Murphy failed to emerge from the heats of the 800 metres freestyle but at least had the consolation of breaking the Irish junior record, finishing fifth in the opening heat in 8:57.88. Dutch swimmer Marlene Veldhuis won the 100 metres freestyle.

Late last night LEN, the European governing body, were investigating an incident provoked by Milorad Cavic of Serbia who won the men's 50 metres butterfly. He was allegedly seen wearing a tee-shirt which stated Kosovo is Serbia during the victory ceremony. The executive of LEN, after yesterday evening's session, decided to forward the case to their disciplinary panel.