Swimming:Belfast teenager Sycerika McMahon proved the star of the first day of the Irish Long Course Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre today as the Leander swimmer claimed three gold medals.
The 16-year-old claimed the 50m Breastroke and the 200m titles in both the Butterfly and Freestyle, breaking her own Irish junior record in the latter race as she touched home in 2.00.79, just ahead of Melanie Nocher (2.01.35).
Grainne Murphy swan in the morning heats but withdrew from the final as she is undertaking heavy endurance training ahead of the World Championships in Shanghai, for which she has already qualified.
Beijing Olympian Aisling Cooney broke the Irish senior 100m Backstroke record in the semi-final of the event. The ESB swimmer beat her own record of 1.02.24 by .37 of a second and is just .17 of a second off the qualifying time for the World Championships ahead of today’s final.