Clare Cryan won a brilliant bronze in the 3m Springboard bronze at the European Aquatic Championships in Belgrade on Friday evening.
The bronze medal is Ireland’s first at European level and only third internationally across all senior events.
The 30-year-old won it in style with a score of 240.55, her best score coming from a back 2 ½ somersaults for 58.80 points.
Norwegian Helle Tuxen took silver (243.20) with Great Britain’s Desharne Bent-Ashmeil scooping gold (305.15).
Speaking after the final, Cryan said: “I am lost for words, I didn’t know I was in contention for the medals. Throughout the competition I just kept my head down, I don’t really like to look at the scores or table going through, so I had no idea going into the last dive. It wasn’t my best last dive; it was enough to get the bronze which I’m so happy about.”
“It’s all just so much right now. I’ve been diving for 21 years, I medalled at the 2018 Grand Prix. That was Ireland’s first international diving medal, to have such a long time without standing on the podium and hitting personal bests, it is just amazing.”
Cryan was born in Sheffield and has represented Ireland since 2017 after qualifying through her paternal grandparents.
She missed out on qualifying for the Paris Olympics after finishing 44th at February’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
Ellie McCartney began a busy evening with an eighth-placed finish in the 200m breaststroke final. The Limerick swimmer touched the wall in 2 minutes:28.58 seconds.
McCartney didn’t have much time to get a breather; she was back in action in the 200m medley semi-final and took eighth in 2:14.37 to reach another final.
Having won gold yesterday in the 60m backstroke, Danielle Hill returned to the pool in impressive fashion.
After claiming Ireland’s first European long course gold medal in 27 years yesterday, the 24-year-old was the fastest qualifier in this morning’s 100m backstroke semi-finals, her Olympic event. Lottie Cullen also made the top 16, advancing in 10th place overall.
Hill and Cullen then both returned to the pool to make it out of the semis. Cullen came home in 1:01.19 to finish fourth, with Hill following her in the subsequent semi-final to clock 1.00.54 and progress as the second-fastest qualifier. The final takes place on Saturday night.
Conor Ferguson was sixth in the 50m backstroke final, in his second fastest ever time of 24.87. Ferguson returns on Saturday for the 100m backstroke.
Nathan Wiffen is safely through to the final of the men’s 1500m freestyle on Saturday evening (6.22pm). The 21-year-old advanced fourth quickest with a time 15:10.01
Victoria Catterson (2:02.39) failed to progress from the 200m heats, while Jack Cassin set a new PB in the 200m butterfly (1:59.05) to advance to the semi-finals, where he raised the bar again with a swim in 1:58.89 as he finished 13th.
Max McCusker was eighth in the 100m Butterfly A Final in a time of 52.62.
The penultimate morning of racing will see Shane Ryan, Oisin Tebite and Calum Bain race in the 50m freestyle, Conor Ferguson in the 100m backstroke, while Niamh Coyne will feature in the 50m breaststroke. Saturday evening’s session will see final appearances for Danielle Hill and Lottie Cullen (100m backstroke), Ellie McCartney (200m individual medley) and Nathan Wiffen (800m freestyle).
Meanwhile, it was announced today that swimming and athletics would swap places in the order for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Athletics traditionally follows the action in the pool but will be up first in four years’ time, except for the marathon races, which will remain at the end of the programme.
