Grainne Murphy-European Junior swimming medals

swim

Irish medal success in Junior Championships

Wednesday, 8 July 2009 20:00
Grainne Murphy won two medals for Ireland today at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Prague - gold in the 400m Individual Medley and bronze in the 1500m freestyle.
Her winning time of 4.40.88 in the 400m Individual Medley was a new European junior championship and Irish junior record, making her the first Irish swimmer to win gold as this competition.
The time was also just 0.8 seconds outside of Michelle Smith de Bruin's current Irish senior record (4.39.18) which she set at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Murphy had qualified first in the heats in a time of 4:46.66, itself a new Irish junior record, which then set her up as the No 1 seed going into this evening's final, almost two seconds ahead of her nearest rival.
On her way to winning bronze, the New Ross native clocked a time of 16.35.93, swimming her way to a new Irish Junior and senior record.
Two other Irish swimmers were also in action today - Ballina's Tara Dunne competed in the 200m Backstroke and swam just outside her personal best, missing out on a place in the semi-finals.
Michael Dawson achieved a personal best performance in the 200m breaststroke in a time of 2:22.04, but was unfortunately just outside the qualification for the semi-finals.
Michael will next compete in the 50m Breaststroke on Friday and 100m Breaststroke on Saturday, the last day of competition.

swim

Irish swimming enjoyed another day of outstanding performances from its top National swimmers.
Swimming sensation Grainne Murphy has won her second gold and third medal overall of the European Junior Swimming Championships in Prague this evening. Her winning performance tonight came in the final of the 800m freestyle where the 16 year-old girl from Ballinaboola, Co. Wexford established a new Irish Junior and Senior record for the distance event, touching the wall in a time of 8.36.63 - almost two seconds ahead of her next opponent, Tjasa Oder of Slovenia.
This world class performance from the New Ross native comes just 2 days after she took gold in the 400m Individual Medley and bronze for the 1500m freestyle at the same championships (on Wednesday evening).
"I expected the other girls to come back on the second 400m of the race but they didn't. My whole race felt really strong from start to finish," said Murphy following her race.
Not only was it a win for Murphy, who is coached by Ronald Claes at Swim Ireland's Limerick High Performance Centre, University of Limerick, but she also managed to swim the first half of the race (400m) in a new Irish Junior record time of 4.17.76.
"It just feels really good to win another gold medal," announced Murphy. "I have one more swim to go and that's the 200m Individual Medley tomorrow - so we'll see how it goes."
Michael Dawson and Tara Dunne were also in action today in Prague in their respective events. Dawson swam the 50m breaststroke in a time of 29.95 and Dunne swam the 200m freestyle in 2.09.36. Despite these good performances neither managed to progress from their heats, but both will compete again tomorrow, Saturday, the final day of competition.
Dubliner Barry Murphy, based out of the University of Tennessee broke the Irish Senior record for the 50m freestyle twice today at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia; he clocked 22.41 in the heats this morning and 22.25 in the semi-final later this evening. Murphy is now the 3rd fastest seed going into tomorrow evening's 50m freestyle final.
Nuala Murphy, also based out of the Limerick High Performance Centre and a student at the University of Limerick had a seventh place finish in the 1500m freestyle in Belgrade, finishing in16.51.39.

mad m

Hey Swim, thanks for letting us know....Well done to all....outstanding....

sock puppet

Grainne Murphy set another Junior European record today in the semifinals of the 200m IM. A 3rd gold for her looks likely.

Marvinthefish

Barry Murphy just came 8th in the Mens 50m Freestyle Final of the World University Games in Belgrade with a time of 22.70. About half a second off his semi-final time.
link

swim

Grainne Murphy returned to the pool today at the European Junior Championships in Prague to set a new Junior European and Irish Junior record in the semi-final of the 200m Individual Medley (IM) - 2.14.15. She is now seeded in first position for tomorrow evening's final. Murphy also set a new Irish Junior record in the heats of the 200m IM earlier this morning (2.16.29).
Grainne's coach Ronald Claes commented after the race "the race went really well, we had to go out faster in the fly and finish stronger in the free - than the heat this morning - and that's exactly what we did." "With the support of the Irish Sports Council, Irish swimmers such as Grainne have benefited enormously from the services and facilities provided at the University of Limerick through Swim Ireland's Liemrick High Performance Centre, where Grainne is based full time."
So far the Wexford girl has had a very successful week of competition at the Europeans winning gold in the 400m IM and 800m freestyle and bronze in the 1500m freestyle.
Also at the European Juniors today Michael Dawson clocked 1.04.55 in the heats of the 100m breaststroke and Tara Dunne finished in 1.08.16 in her heat of the 100m backstroke.
Today was the last day in the pool for the Irish team at the World University Games, Belgrade. Barry Murphy swam against a tough field in the 50m freestyle final, finishing in a time of 22.70 and eighth place overall. The men's 4x100 medley team relay recorded a new Irish Senior record time of 3.45.7 however did not advance to the final. Andrew Meegan swam a personal best time in the heats of the 400m IM (4.35.57). Nuala Murphy clocked a time of 4.19.70 in her heat of the 400m freestyle.
Meanwhile at the Irish Age-Group National Swimming Championships at the National Aqautic Centre (NAC) Dublin which are taking place this weekend, over 300 swimmers, with clubs from both Ireland and England have taken to the NAC waters where swimmers in four age categories are competing for National Age-Group titles; under twelves - fifteens. These up and coming stars are hoping to become the next Grainne Murphy of the future.

swim

Hat Trick for Murphy

12 July 2009
Press Release
Irish swimming sensation Grainne Murphy has claimed her third gold medal today at the European Junior Swimming Championships, when she touched the wall in first place in the 200m Individual Medley in 2.14.22. The sixteen year old girl from Ballinaboola, New Ross broke the European Junior Record in the semi-finals of the event yesterday, in 2.14.15. Murphy now makes it a hat trick - having won gold in the 400m IM and 800m earlier in the week, as well as bronze for the 1500m freestyle.
"This was the toughest out of all her races to win, as the competition was closest in this event. It was a good challenge for Grainne today to get up and race but she did absolutely fantastic," commented Ronald Claes, who coaches Murphy full time at the Limerick High Performance Centre (University of Limerick).
"We really need the Irish Sports Council (ISC) to keep investing in and supporting Irish swimming because swimming in Ireland is on the move upwards. I hope that the ISC will continue to focus on swimming as one of the key sports for the Olympic Games."
Describing her race afterwards, Murphy said "The race felt really strong, my butterfly leg was good and my stroke rate on my breaststroke was really high - which was what I was looking for. I expected the British girl to come back on the breaststroke and I knew the Italian girl was going to go out strong too." She added "I don't think it has really sunk in yet that I've won 3 golds and a bronze this week but I'm really thrilled."
Murphy will travel to Italy tomorrow to join the twelve other Irish swimmers for a training camp before the World Championships in Rome in two weeks' time.