Three Irish Athletes Secure Final Spots At Paralympic Swimming World Championships

Another fantastic day for the Irish. It’s been another brilliant day for the Irish competitors at this year’s Paralympic Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, with three athletes booking their spot in a final this evening. Turner in action at the championships. Nicole Turner, Ellen Keane and James Scully put in huge performances to secure a coveted spot in the finals. Turner continued a hugely impressive debut at the championships swimming an outstanding lifetime best at the SM6 200m Individual Medley, taking over 16 seconds off her previous best set earlier this year to finish third in the heat. London Paralympian Keane (20) was the second Irish swimmer of the morning to book a place in an evening final, placing fourth in her heat of the S9 100m Butterfly in 1:12.80. Keane pictured in Glasgow. Fellow London 2012 Paralympian Scully raced in the second heat of the S5 Men’s 50m Freestyle. Scully put in a lifetime best performance of 38 seconds flat to take the last spot in tonight’s final. Elsewhere, Dublin teenager Ailbhe Kelly swam brilliantly in the sole heat of the S8 Women’s 400m Freestyle. The Dubliner, also making her World Championship debut, similarly swam a massive lifetime best of 5:37.45; knocking over five and a half seconds off her previous best mark. Ailbhe Kelly swam a lifetime best. Although not enough to make it to the final of this incredibly competitive class, Kelly’s performance was inside the Minimum Qualifying Standard (MQS) for Rio 2016. She races again tomorrow in her main event; the 100m Backstroke.