Swimmer Murphy collects third Euro medal

Swimming sensation Grainne Murphy has won her second gold medal and third medal overall of the European Junior Swimming Championships in Prague this evening.

Her winning performance tonight came in the final of the 800 metres Freestyle where the 16-year-old from Ballinaboola, Co Wexford established a new Irish junior and senior record for the distance event, touching the wall in a time of 8:36.63 - almost two seconds ahead of her next opponent, Tjasa Oder of Slovenia.

This world class performance from the New Ross native comes just two days after she took gold in the 400m Individual Medley and bronze for the 1500m Freestyle at the same championships.

"I expected the other girls to come back on the second 400 metres of the race but they didn’t. My whole race felt really strong from start to finish," said Murphy following tonight's victory.

Not only was it a win for Murphy, who is coached by Ronald Claes at Swim Ireland’s Limerick High Performance Centre in the University of Limerick, but she also managed to swim the first half of the race in a new Irish Junior record time of 4:17.76.

"It just feels really good to win another gold medal," she added.

"I have one more swim to go and that’s the 200m Individual Medley tomorrow - so we'll see how that goes."

Michael Dawson and Tara Dunne were also in action today in Prague in their respective events. Dawson swam the 50m Breaststroke in a time of 29.95 and Dunne swam the 200m Freestyle in 2:09.36.

Despite these good performances neither managed to progress from their heats, but both will compete again tomorrow on the final day of competition.

Meanwhile, Dubliner Barry Murphy, based out of the University of Tennessee, broke the Irish Senior record for the 50m Freestyle twice today at the World University Games in Belgrade.

He clocked 22.41 in the heats this morning and 22.25 in the semi-final later this evening. Murphy is now the third fastest seed going into tomorrow evening's final.

Nuala Murphy, also based out of the Limerick High Performance Centre and a student at the University of Limerick, had a seventh place finish in the 1500m Freestyle in Belgrade, finishing in 16:51.39.