McCartney Wins Gold, Silver, Bronze at U23 Euros

Ellie McCartney, a 20-year-old swimmer from Enniskillen, won gold in the 200m individual medley at the European Under-23 Championships in Slovakia with a personal best of 2:12.50, finishing 1.22 seconds ahead of France's Bertille Cousson and with Slovakia's Tamara Potocka taking bronze. McCartney also claimed silver in the 200m breaststroke, just 0.13 seconds behind Denmark’s Clara Rybek-Anderson, and bronze in the 100m breaststroke, securing a full set of medals at the event. Her victory continues Ireland's dominance in the 200m individual medley at the U23 level, following Ellen Walshe's win in 2023. McCartney's performances have qualified her for the World Championships in Singapore, and she is regarded as a potential future Olympian. She attributed her success to recent breaststroke training and emphasized a focus on improvement over immediate Olympic ambitions. These achievements underscore the growing strength of Irish swimming on the European stage.