Danielle Hill confirmed her place as Ireland’s fastest ever female swimmer as she broke the Irish 50m freestyle record on her way to qualifying for Sunday’s final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Swimming next to the current Olympic Champion Emma McKeon of Australia, Hill finished third in the first semi-final, clocking 25.15 and knocked .04 off her own 2021 Irish record of 25.19.
The Larne swimmer was sixth overall after the second semi-final, the top eight progressing to tomorrow’s 20.05 final. Australia’s Shayna Jack is the top seed for the final in 24.33.
Just an hour later, Hill was back in the pool for the 100m backstroke semi-final. The 22-year-old was fifth in the first semi-final in 1:01.74, and after semi-final she was ninth overall, just missing the final by .03 with the last place going to South Africa’s Rebecca Meder in 1:01.71. Hill will be first reserve for tomorrow’s final.
Hill made a third appearance of the night in the Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final where she combined with Victoria Catterson, Grace Davison and Victoria Catterson to finish in 6th place in 3:47.24, a new Ulster Record, breaking the 2010 standard of 3:49.48.
Tomorrow, Hill and Davison return to the pool with Kaitlyn McCaw for the 50m butterfly heats while Jack McMillan goes in the 100m freestyle. Siomha Brady will swim the 100m backstroke S8 final at 19.35.
Commonwealth Games Day 2 Results
- Men 200m Freestyle
- Jack McMillan
- H 1:48.41 (9th)
- Jack McMillan
- Women 50m Freestyle
- Danielle Hill
- H 25.29 (6th)
- SF 25.15 (6th) ISR
- Mollie McAlorum
- H 27.15 (27th)
- Grace Davison
- H 27.08 (25th)
- Danielle Hill
- Women 100m Backstroke
- Danielle Hill
- H 1:01.85 (8th)
- SF 1:01.74 (9th)
- Danielle Hill
- Women 4x100m Freestyle Relay
- Northern Ireland
- F 3:47.24 (6th)
- Northern Ireland
Commonwealth Games Day 3 Schedule
- Women 50m Butterfly
- Danielle Hill, Kaitlyn McCaw, Grace Davison
- Men 100m Freestyle
- Jack McMillan
- Women 100m Backstroke S8
- Siomha Brady