John Shortt wrapped up the series of record-breaking swims in style on day two of the Irish Open Swimming Championships in Bangor, smashing his own 100m backstroke record when clocking the fourth fastest time in the world this year.
Still only 19, Shortt clocked 53.17 seconds, improving the record of 53.37 he set at the Giant Open in Paris three weeks ago. The Galway swimmer, who last year set a world junior record as well as winning world junior and European short-course titles, still has his specialist 200m backstroke to come.
Jack Kelly also made a name for himself when breaking the Irish record in the 50m breaststroke, the 23-year-old New York-born swimmer, whose mother is from Cork, clocking 26.84 to improve on Darragh Greene’s previous Irish record of 26.94.
Kelly’s time also qualifies him for the European Championships in Paris in August. He is swimming for the Terenure Club this week, and he also has two more breaststroke events to come.
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Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry took her first win of the week in familiar fashion, winning the 50m breaststroke in 30.43 seconds – also a standard for the Europeans.
Ellen Walshe was also a class apart in the women’s 400m individual medley, winning in 4.39.38, her second win after the 200m butterfly on Wednesday.
Maria Godden won the 100m backstroke in 60.35 seconds, and in the men’s 400m individual medley, 22-year-old Liam Custer from Cork won in 4.23.14, just off the Irish record.
