Nathan Wiffen misses out on place at Olympic Games

Nigel Ringland - BBC Sport NI reporter at the National Aquatics Centre in Dublin
Nathan Wiffen
Nathan Wiffen missed out on the Paris Olympic in the 1500m freestyle [Inpho]

Nathan Wiffen gave it his all in the arduous 1500m freestyle.

His lonely swim at the Irish Championships in Dublin was rewarded with a personal best, 15:06.48, an incredible 14.63 seconds quicker than he had swam the event before.

However, the standard for the Olympics was 15:00.99 and so Nathan will not be joining twin brother and double world champion Daniel in Paris this summer.

With no competition the final became Wiffen against the clock and for the first 700m he was under the schedule of 30 second/50m splits.

It was then the time gradually, like sand in an hourglass, began to agonisingly slip away. A few tenths at a time to start with and then by seconds.

Age is on his side and at 23 it is still possible that both brothers will be at the Los Angeles Olympics in four years time.

Ellen Walshe
Ellen Walshe secured Olympic qualification in the 400m individual medley [Getty Images]

Ellen Walshe starred on the final morning of heats at the Olympic Trials as the Templeogue swimmer secured a second Olympic qualification time in the 400m Individual Medley.

Walshe, already qualified for the Games in the 200m Individual Medley, swam an impressive 4:38.05 in the 400m IM, just one tenth of a second outside the Irish record of 4:37.94 she set three weeks ago at the Leinster Championships.

However, Shane Ryan was again just outside of the Olympics time required in the 100m freestyle. He swam 48.66 in the final but was 0.32 outside of the Paris standard.

There has been nothing between Grace Davison from Ards and Belfast’s Victoria Catterson all week long.

Davison won the battle between the two Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team-mates in the 100m freestyle and added the 50m title on Sunday.

However, in her favoured event, Catterson edged Davison in the 200m freestyle final by just one-hundredth of a second in a thrilling final.

McCartney victory

There was also Ulster success for Ellie McCartney in the 200m breaststroke.

At the end of the National Championships and Olympic Trials, five swimmers have qualified for Paris.

Danielle Hill, Mona McSharry, Ellen Walshe, Tom Fannon and Daniel Wiffen.

Others may, at the end of the qualification window, receive individual invites from World Aquatics to fill out event quotas.

Ireland also have both medley relays in qualification positions which may also open the door for other swimmers to be added to the squad.

There will be an anxious wait for some over the next month or so before the final squad is named.

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