Enniskillen's Ellie McCartney into final as Larne's Danielle Hill part of world record-breaking European Aquatics Championships showpiece field in Paris
Enniskillen’s Ellie McCartney sealed her place in the final of the women’s 200m breaststroke with 2:24.15 across the semi-finals on Thursday.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist McCartney posted a time of 2:26.95 to finish third in the opening heat of the event.
The National Centre Limerick swimmer will be aiming to move closer to her Personal Best of 2:23.79.
The final is at 6.43 on Friday.
“I'm super happy,” McCartney said on reaching the semi-finals. “Comparing it to racing last week in Glasgow (Commonwealth Games), both my hundreds (breaststroke) were faster than over there and this morning I was two seconds faster than my heat in Glasgow, so I'm excited.”
Larne’s Danielle Hill came home eighth as defending European champion as Paris fans witnessed a world record-winning race by Sara Curtis of Italy in the 50m backstroke final on Thursday evening.
A Season’s Best of 27.85 for eighth overall in Wednesday’s semi-final secured Hill her shot at the main event and she came home in 27.91 – with Curtis commanding towards her elite 26.56 title-winning time.
Hill said after her semi-final: “I am so happy. I knew there was a swim in there that could make the final.
“It was about getting my hand on the wall and I obviously in Commonwealth Games was fourth (50m backstroke) and ninth (100m backstroke), so to be in that eighth and sneak in on the right side of it, it means a lot.
“So yeah, I'm really happy, it was an amazing race.”
Curtis had set a new world record of 26.63 in the semi-finals.
Magheralin’s Daniel Wiffen narrowly missed out on another major championship medal, finishing fourth in a high-quality 800m freestyle final on Wednesday.
The Olympic champion touched in a season's best 7:43.30, less than a second and a half outside the medals.
Wiffen said: “I'm really happy with that, I think they described it as a disappointment before, but for me, I actually really happy with it.
“To see the progression that I've done in 13 weeks from being at my like lowest point, to then come back to Dublin, having to retrain the whole of the year in 13 weeks was really hard.
“So, to come back, another season’s best, just outside of the medals, I'm happy with how I put it together.”
Wiffen returns on Friday in the 1500m Freestyle.
In the 100m women’s butterfly heats, National Centre Ulster's Alana Burns-Atkin posted a time of 1:01.34.