Ellen Walshe Crushes Irish 200 Fly National Record From 1996 Olympics

03/08/2025 12:39 PM

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2025 LEINSTER ASPIRING CHAMPIONS MEET

• Saturday, March 8th – Sunday, March 9th
• National Aquatic Centre, Dublin, Ireland
• LCM (50m)
• Results: Meet Mobile – Leinster Aspiring Champions Mar 2025

While competing on day one of the 2025 Leinster Aspiring Champions Meet, Olympic finalist Ellen Walshe fired off a new Irish national record in the women’s 200m fly.

Templelogue’s 24-year-old Walshe produced a head-turning time of 2:08.42 in the final to earn the gold, obliterating her previous personal best in the process.

Entering this competition, Walshe held a career-quickest outing of 2:14.15, a time she put up over 5 years ago at the 2020 Flanders Swimming Cup.

Flash forward to tonight, and Walshe split 29.44/32.95/34.11/31.92 to erase that performance and become Ireland’s fastest woman ever in this event.

Her time sliced over a second off the longstanding previous national record of 2:09.91 Michelle Smith put on the books at the 1996 Olympic Games en route to claiming bronze there in Atlanta.

Walshe’s 2:08.42 effort now ranks her 5th in the world this season.

Walshe now owns the following individual Irish records:

• LCM 100 fly – 57.96, 2023
• LCM 200 fly – 2:08.42, 2025
• LCM 200 IM – 2:10.92, 2023
• LCM 400 IM – 4:37.18, 2024
• SCM 50 fly – 25.45, 2024
• SCM 100 fly – 55.50, 2024
• SCM 100 IM – 58.55, 2024
• SCM 200 IM – 2:05.52, 2024
• SCM 400 IM – 4:26.52, 2021

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ellen Walshe Crushes Irish 200 Fly National Record From 1996 Olympics