Irish relay team set landmark record to finish sixth in world final

Ireland’s Jack McMillan, Jordan Sloan, Finn McGeever and Robert Powell before the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final

Ireland’s Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Team broke seven minutes for the first time on Sunday afternoon when finishing a hard-fought sixth in the Final at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships.

Taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, the Championships are world swimming’s finale of 2021 and the culmination of the short course (25m pool) season.

Jack McMillan, Jordan Sloan, Finn McGeever and Robbie Powell took 21 seconds off the Irish Senior Record to become the first Irish relay team to qualify for a World Championships Final in 28 years. The quartet, who train across Swim Ireland’s National Centres in Bangor, Dublin and Limerick, then knocked a further three seconds off in that final to set the new standard at 6:59.54.

Diving in first on both rounds was Jack McMillan, and his lap time in the Final was 0.1 behind his 200m Freestyle Irish Senior Record.

McMillan said: “My job is to get the team off to a good start, to give them confidence going in. To get under seven minutes there was pretty cool. I was just enjoying myself cheering the boys on, especially Robbie bringing it home there. It was great from everyone.” 

Next in was Jordan Sloan, who trains with McMillan at Swim Ireland’s new National Centre Ulster in Bangor.

He said: “Everyone stepped it on just a bit from this morning. You can’t really ask for anymore and getting under seven minutes is pretty cool. I thought it would be a push after this morning, because we were 7:02.3, but doing 6:59 is pretty good and we’ll just build from there for long course.” 

Finn McGeever, from National Centre Limerick at University of Limerick, has been on a rollercoaster year, achieving his first Irish Senior Record in 400m Freestyle in April, then helping set the Irish Senior Record for this event at the LEN European Aquatics Championships in May, before making his Olympic debut – again in this event – at Tokyo 2020.

McGeever said: “I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to this. It’s really cool to be out in a World Final. This is my first individual senior meet too as I did the 400m Freestyle, so this is all new to me.

“In the race, I felt better than this morning and we all moved it on. As Jordan said, what more can you ask.” 

Last in was Robbie Powell, who trains at National Centre Dublin in the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre and has been out of international competition since 2019.

Powell said: “It’s my favourite position - I love going last. I’ve been doing it since a junior, on the medleys - I was always the 100 freestyler. It’s long few years for me, so I’m happy to be back there in that last position and enjoying it.

Speaking about the progression of Ireland’s Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay, Powell added:

“It’s just going to keep going. It is about practice at this level. We brought it on more than three seconds from this morning, so what we can do with a few years, a few months even? It’s going to be cool to watch, and even be a part of it.” 

Three of this team – McMillan, McGeever and Sloan –set a new Irish Senior Record in this event in the long course (50m pool) format at the LEN European Aquatics Championships in May - the performance earned Ireland their first ever spot in a Men’s Olympic swimming relay event, and a first Olympic swimming relay of any kind in 49 years.

Ireland’s next Final will be on Monday afternoon as Sligo’s Mona McSharry has set a fifth Irish Senior Record to finish third overall in the 100m Breaststroke Semi-Finals.

Mona McSharry said: “It wasn’t the best put together race. I think the first 25 wasn’t great and it was a bit all over the place from that point. Now, the time is not bad, that’s a good thing. I can improve on stuff and hopefully the time will drop again tomorrow.” 

Also on Sunday afternoon, Danielle Hill finished 13th in the 50m Backstroke Semi-Finals, bettering her heats time of 27.17 with 26.88 – just 0.14 off her Irish Senior Record. This was her first Semi-Final at these Championships and she has one event left - 50m Freestyle – which begins with heats on Monday morning.

Monday morning’s heats also feature 400m Individual Medley Silver Medallist Ellen Walshe in 200m Individual Medley and 100m Butterfly, relay star Jack McMillan in 100m Freestyle and Irish Senior Record holder Daniel Wiffen in 1500m Freestyle.

All the action can be followed via fina.org.