Bryan holds out hope

One of Ireland’s leading swimmers has expressed hope that Swim Ireland can work again successfully with Gráinne Murphy and the University of Limerick.

As the Irish Examiner reported yesterday, the national governing body has seriously damaged its relations with both Murphy and UL after it unilaterally decided not to renew the contract of her UL-based coach Ronald Claes, leading to uncertainty about whether the facility will retain its high performance centre status.

However, the open water marathon swimmer Chris Bryan, who last year became the first Irish swimmer in nearly a decade to have a top-eight finish in a world championship event, believes Murphy could return to the pool in Limerick where he continues to train if Swim Ireland mends bridges with her and UL.