Ellen Walshe smashes Michelle Smith's 28-year-old Irish swimming record

NEW RECORD: Ellen Walshe has smashed one of Ireland’s longest standing Irish Records at the Leinster Swimming Championships. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Photosport/John Cowpland.

Ellen Walshe has smashed one of Ireland’s longest standing Irish Records at the Leinster Swimming Championships at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre today.

Templeogue Swimming Club’s Walshe clocked 4:37.94 in the 400m Individual Medley, knocking over a second off the 1996 record of 4:39.18 held by Michelle Smith.

Saturday’s swim was Walshe’s first venture under the 4.40 mark, with her previous best sitting at 4:41.30 from the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in Barcelona in 2023.

Already qualified for the Paris Games in the 200m Individual Medley, the 22-year-old’s time was under the Olympic Qualification Time of 4:38.53, but she'll need to have a similar performance at the Irish Open Championships and Olympic Trials (22nd – 26th May) in less than three weeks to be able to swim it in Paris.