Ryan sets new Irish 50m freestyle record in Belgrade

Shane Ryan broke the Irish national record in the 50m freestyle on the penultimate day of racing at the European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade.

Ryan was the first swimmer on the blocks this morning, the 30-year-old clocking 21.82 to become Ireland’s fastest ever swimmer in a long course (50m) pool.

The time shaved .12 of a second off Tom Fannon’s 21.94 from the Irish Open and Olympic trials in May, which he equalled just yesterday at the Sette Colli Meet in Rome.

Ryan, who is the fastest qualifier from the heats, will return to the blocks for the semi-final at 5:58pm Irish time.

“I’m shocked, my goal was to go 21.89,” he said afterwards. “That is my first 50 freestyle in two years, I’m delighted. I had shoulder surgery about two and a half years ago, so I’m delighted with that time.”

Swim Ireland must now consider whether to send Ryan to Paris, the two-time Olympian having achieved the qualifying time outside the allotted time trials.

Irish swimmers were afforded three opportunities to qualify for the Games – at the World Championships in both Fukuoka and Doha, as well as the Irish Championships in May.

“I am going to have to go back, talk to Swim Ireland, talk to our performance director Jon Rudd,” Ryan told Swimming World magazine.

“It’s a difficult decision because under Olympic guidelines, I am qualified. But through Swim Ireland guidelines, I’m not.

“But I came into this meet struggling after the Irish Olympic trials but I had to power through that and get my head wrapped around (that).”

Callum Bain is also through to this evening’s final. After a slight suit malfunction, he was in and out of the pool in 22.11 to finish first in his heat and fifth overall in 22.11.

Oisin Tebite closed out his week in the same event with 23.58 in his first senior long course international.

After his sixth-place finish on Friday night in the 50m backstroke, Conor Ferguson was back in the pool for the 100m backstroke heats.

Ferguson secured another semi-final place (7.22pm) with a sixth-place finish in a time of 54.74.

Niamh Coyne finished off a busy European Championships with 32.52 (33) in the 50m breaststroke heat.

There is a busy evening ahead for Ireland as Danielle Hill will look to add to her European gold in the 100m backstroke Final (6.16pm). Joining Hill will be Lottie Cullen, swimming her first individual senior final.

Nathan Wiffen in the 1500m freestyle (6.22pm) and Ellie McCartney in the 200m medley (5.47pm) are back on the blocks for their finals, both in their second outing onto the European final stage at this meet.

Shane Ryan and Calum Bain (50m freestyle), and Conor Ferguson (100m backstroke) will all look to secure final places in their events.