Sycerika McMahon wins 200m freestyle heats: 2011 Irish Long Course National Championships
Sycerika McMahon of LEA dominated the preliminary rounds of the Women’s 200m freestyle on day one of the 2011 Irish Long Course National Championships at the National Aquatic Centre in Abbotstown on April 28, 2011.
The championship witnessed gruelling efforts of the female national swimmers trying to escape each other for the fastest qualification spot into the today’s finals.
McMahon cruised her way into the heats, clocking a stupendous 2:03.71 minutes to occupy the fastest qualification spot. She was followed by TROJ-IRL’s Nuala Murphy and UCD’s Niamh O Sullivan, who touched the wall for second and third fastest qualification,
clocking a time of 2:05.01 and 2:05.41 minutes respectively.
The 16-year-old McMahon has already conquered the top qualification spot in the 50m breast-stroke earlier at the championship.
McMahon emerged as the fastest swimmer in the initial lap, where her quickest arm-stroke and longest dive provided her a comfortable lead. She controlled the event from the initial to final lap and kept her rivals at a bay.
In the final lap, her fastest tumble turn added to her lead and she sprinted her way to the finishing wall in 2:03.71 minutes. Her wonderful timing accompanied her with a 1.30 seconds lead from Murphy, while Murphy only managed to out-touch her closest competitor,
Sullivan, with a difference of 0.40 seconds.
They were followed by LIMK’s Grainne Murphy and ARDS’s Melanie Nocher, who surfaced as the fourth and fifth fastest swimmers in a time of 2:05.85 and 2:05.96 minutes. LISB’s Bethany Carson and GAL’s Dairne Ryan followed them into the finals, touching the
wall in 2:06.96 and 2:06.99 minutes for sixth and seventh position respectively.
Katie Reid occupied the eighth fastest qualification spot with a timing of 2:08.39 minutes. Smith Shauna and Jess Stallard followed her on the finishing wall, clocking a time of 2:08.56 and 2:09.39 minutes respectively.
These swimmers will again meet each other in the final round, where they will be only a step away from claiming the title of the event.
Furthermore, McMahon felt very excited after her victory in the second event and expressed that she will try to meet crowd’s expectations in the next rounds of both events.
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