Jack Kelly sets Irish records to reach European 100m Breaststroke final

Jack Kelly has qualified for the Men’s 100m Breaststroke final at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris after setting two Irish records. In the heats, Kelly clocked 59.27, and he improved that time to 58.90 in the semi-finals, becoming the first Irish swimmer to break the 59-second barrier in this event.

Kelly finished second in his semi-final behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi, who recorded a time of 58.67. Great Britain’s Adam Ramsay-Peaty also placed among the top performers with a time of 58.94. Kelly expressed excitement regarding his performance, stating that going under 59 seconds has ‘always been a dream’ of his.

In the Women’s 200m Backstroke, Lottie Cullen achieved a personal best of 2:12.22 in the semi-finals. Despite the improvement, she finished sixth and did not advance to the final. Cullen noted she was pleased with the progress following her recent participation in the Commonwealth Games.