European Championships, Day 6 Prelims: Shane Ryan Inside Paris 50 Free Cut With 21.82 Irish Record, Outside Swim Ireland Qualification Window

Shane Ryan set an Irish 50 free record of 21.82 to go inside the Olympic cut but with the Swim Ireland qualification window for Paris 2024 having already shut.

The 30-year-old entered the race with a PB of 22.6 before slicing 0.8 from that mark in the Serbian capital with his first 50 free in a couple of years.

It also saw him cut 0.12 from Tom Fannon’s national standard of 21.94 set at last month’s Irish Championships, which doubled as trials for Paris 2024, a time he matched on Friday at the Sette Colli in Rome.

Of huge significance, Ryan’s time was well within the Paris QT of 21.96 but Swim Ireland policy dictated that the qualification window banged shut after last month’s Irish Open Championships.

Swimmers had three opportunities to qualify for the Games at the World Championships in Fukuoka and Doha as well as the Irish Championships in May, which represented the final opportunity to book a spot in Paris.

Saturday’s 50 free standard was Ryan’s second Irish record of the European Championships after he lowered his own 100 free mark set at last month’s trials to 48.39, 0.05secs outside the Paris cut.

Swim Ireland have qualified men’s and women’s medley relays for the Games although selections have yet to be announced with Ryan jostling for a spot.

Ryan has already competed at two Olympics in 2016 and 2021 and he intends to have a conversation and pursue any possible appeal or process to make his third Games.

Ryan was taken aback by his performance and with a smile on his face, he good-naturedly told Swimming World:

“Ah no, I’ve made a problem for them now!

“Oh yes (he would appeal). Going to my third Olympics: I’ve been through a lot since having major shoulder surgery about two and half years ago.

“Everything is kind of aligning. I am absolutely delighted with that time – Jesus Christ, that’s quick.

“I don’t know what to say, honestly.”

He added:

“I am going to have to go back, talk to Swim Ireland, talk to our performance director Jon Rudd.

“It’s a difficult decision because under Olympic guidelines I am qualified but through Swim Ireland guidelines I’m not.

“But I came into this meet struggling after the Irish Olympic trials but I had to power through that and get my head wrapped around (that).”

Ryan was top seed through in the one-length event ahead of Kristian Gkolomeev, bronze medallist at the 2022 Europeans, who clocked 21.95.

The pair were the only men to break 22secs with 0.18 separating the remaining qualifiers into tonight’s semifinals, among them 2024 world c champion Vladislav Bukhov in 22.29.

Zsuzsanna Jakabos: Photo courtesy: European Aquatics

Lana Pudar became the first swimmer from Bosnia and Herzegovina to win European gold when she took the 200 fly title two years ago.

The 2024 world bronze medallist has her sights on becoming her country’s first Olympic medallist in any sport at Paris 2024.

But it was Zsuzsanna Jakabos who topped the heats in 2:08.53, 0.10 outside the cut for Paris as the Hungarian attempts to reach her sixth Olympics.

Therese Alshammar is currently the only female swimmer to have competed at six Games along with Lars Frolander, Oussama Mellouli and Derya Buyukuncu.

Helena Rosendahl Bach, the 2024 world silver medallist, was second through in 2:09.39 ahead of 2019 world champion Boglarka Kapas (2:09.51) with Pudar eighth in 2:13.00.

Hubert Kos got his 200IM defence underway in 1:58.75 for top spot and Kacper Stocowski led a Polish 1-2 in the men’s 100 back, clocking 54.04 to Ksawery Masiuk’s 54.28.

Veera Kivirinta led the women’s 50m breaststroke in 30.58 with Hungary booking lane four for the mixed 4×2 in 7:l49.97 with only five teams contesting the prelims.