After what she described as an “emotionally tough week” Limerick’s Fiona Doyle finished seventh in the final of the women’s 50 metres breaststroke at the European Swimming championships in Berlin.
Having qualified in sixth place after Saturday’s semi-finals, the University of Calgary-based Doyle started the race in lane seven and, after a decent start, passed the 25 metre mark in around fourth place.
The 22-year-old couldn’t sustain her push in the second half of the race and had to be content with seventh in a time of 31.37 seconds, 0.07 slower than her semi-final swim.
The gold medal was won by Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte, the world record holder in a time of 29.89 seconds, with the silver going to Jennie Johansson of Sweden with Moniek NijHuis taking the bronze medal.
It was the first time that Doyle had reached a major international final.
She is now amongst only one of a handful of Irish swimmers to have made a European long course final after Gary O’Toole, Michelle Smith De Brujin, Grainne Murphy and Sycerika McMahon.
“I would have loved to have finished higher but emotionally it’s been a long long week for me,” said Doyle. “In fact I didn’t think I was capable of reaching the final, a couple of days ago so in that sense I’m really happy and proud with myself in that regard.
“Yes, I’m disappointed but I’m more than happy to have stood up on the blocks and give it my all.”
The pity was that Ireland should really have had two swimmers in the final as Sycerika McMahon completed her programme with a second placed finish in her heat of the women’s 400 metres freestyle.
The 19-year-old’s time of 4.13.26 was a new personal best, three seconds better than her junior European winning time of two years ago and it placed the Texas A&M based swimmer in 13th overall.
McMahon, though was gutted at not joining Doyle in 50 metres breastroke final, an event in which she won silver in Hungary in 2012.
“I slipped on the block and got a pretty bad start. But that’s still not an excuse as I swam absolutely terrible” said McMahon. “I dived in and I was behind everyone from the word go and I just started spinning and that’s the worst thing you can do in a 50 metre race.
“This summer has been pretty terrible for me overall, but at least I know where I am now. It’s a good indicator of what I need to work on and obviously there is a heck of a lot for me to work on right now.”
“I’ve been training hard all year, but obviously it’s not quite enough. It’s just really disheartening at this moment in time. To not even make a final at the Europeans or the Commonwealths, I didn’t train for that.”
