McMahon and Doyle fail to progress

It was a case of two and out for the Irish duo in heat action yesterday at the European Swimming Championships in Berlin as there was no progression to the semi-finals for both Sycerika McMahon and Fiona Doyle in the women's 200 metres Breaststroke.

Both Doyle and McMahon had made semi-finals in other events during the week and while the 200 Breastroke is not one of their top events, not making the 16 will have disappointed both swimmers.

McMahon who was placed 21st overall, still has a number of events to go this week, including Saturdays 50 metres Breastroke, an event in which she took a silver medal in the 2012 Europeans in Hungary.

Doyle was classed in 23rd of the 33 swimmers who took part in yesterday’s heats. “That wasn’t the greatest to be honest” said McMahon. “Its ok though I have the 50 Breastroke coming up and that’s the one I always love to do, it’s just a splash and dash and I’m looking forward to that.”

“I’m hoping to make the 50 final but we just need to take this one step at a time.”

McMahon and Doyle will be back in action on Saturday in the 50 Breaststroke heats while McMahon was due to compete in today’s 200 freestyle, but her entry “wasn’t actually processed” according to a tweet sent by the 19 year old.

Swim Ireland countered that she wasn't on their entry list for the event, saying that her coach Bobby Madine wanted to give his swimmer a rest before her swims on Saturday and Sunday.

Thus it's down to 4 other Irish swimmers to compete today as Brendan Hyland goes in the men's 100 metres Butterfly while Barry Murphy, Dan Sweeney and Nicholas Quinn are down for the men's 50 breaststroke.

Murphy won a bronze medal in the short course (25 metre) Europeans in Denmark last December as he looks to make up for a disappointing swim in the 100 Breastroke.

“I think that the 50 Metres Breastroke is going to go a lot better than the 100 heats on Monday” said Murphy. “The 50 has always been my best event and I’m looking forward to throwing down what I can do here. I feel strong, feel powerful and it’s just about finding the speed, get out of the heats and take it from there”.

In last night’s finals Hungary’s golden girl Katina Hosszu added the 200 Individual Medley title to the 400 IM gold she won earlier this week. Hosszu then dead heated with Mie Oe Neilsen of Demark as both were awarded gold in the women’s 100 metres backstroke final.

Great Britain took their medal tally to 15 with gold number 4 going to Jazmin Carlin in the women’s 800 metres freestyle while Aimee Milmott won silver in the women’s 200 IM and Georgina Davis took bronze in the 100 backstroke final.

Christopher Walker Hebron won a bronze in the men’s 50 backstroke final and their count now stands at 4 gold 6 silver and 5 bronze.