Bethany Carson wins Women’s 100m freestyle heats - 2011 Irish Long Course Championships
LISB’s Bethany Carson has qualified as the fastest swimmer in the preliminary rounds of the Women’s 100m freestyle on second day of the Irish Long Course Championships, held in Abbotstown.
2011 Irish National Championships are also a trial basis for swimmers to enter the national team for the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, during July. Therefore, swimmers clocking a time under the FINA time qualification standard will be guaranteed
their places in the Irish team for World Championships.
19-year-old Bethany Carson touched the wall in a fastest time of 58.17 seconds ahead of the TEMP-LE’s Niamh Murphy and LIMK’s Shauna Smith, who followed her on the finishing wall as the second and third fastest swimmers in a time of 58.95 and 59.20 seconds,
respectively.
Carson’s significantly quicker dive provided her the competitive edge and she gained slight lead over her competitors. Murphy joined her in the second half of first lap, where they started a neck-to-neck swim. Carson was only 0.27 seconds faster from her
closest rival Murphy, who completed her first lap in 29.95 seconds.
After the tumble turn, Carson cruised her way to the finishing wall in a fastest time of 28.49 seconds, to post 58.17 seconds on the board. Whereas, Murphy completed her second lap in 29.00 seconds and remained the second fastest swimmer to qualify into
the semi-finals.
Shauna Smith followed them on the finishing wall, clocking a time of 59.20 seconds and was 0.32 seconds faster from her closest swimmer, Grainne Murphy, who touched the wall in 29.52 seconds. In addition, GAL’s Dairne Ryan remained only 0.10 seconds slower
than Grainne and qualified fourth in a time of 59.62 seconds.
Katie Reid of LISB and Aisling Cooney of ESB-IRL secured the sixth and seventh fastest qualification spot, posting 59.74 and 59.93 seconds, respectively.
Carson was extremely happy with her comfortable qualification and earned the arena’s applause, as she is the top contender for the gold medal. Carson said that she will try to break the Irish Benchmark of 56.32 seconds, held by Clare Dawson of ARDS.
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