After Uncertainty, Swim Ireland Confirms Ellen Walshe Will Compete in Tokyo Games

25 June 2021; / during day two of the 2021 Swim Ireland Performance Meet at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. Photo by David Kiberd/Sportsfile

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Nearly a week after she bettered the FINA A standard to qualify for this month’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Ireland’s Ellen Walshe has received positive news concerning her spot on Team Ireland for the Games. Swim Ireland released a statement on Thursday that indicated Walshe’s name will be nominated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland for inclusion on the team that will compete in Tokyo in three weeks.

Last week, while racing at Swim Ireland’s Performance Meet, Walshe posted a national-record time of 2:12.02 for the 200-meter individual medley. While the time was under the FINA A standard for qualification, a Swim Ireland policy indicated that athletes needed to be within 1.5% of the A standard during competition in April. Ultimately, Swim Ireland took Walshe’s case under consideration and determined she deserves the opportunity to represent her nation at the Olympics.

In its statement, Swim Ireland said: “The Swim Ireland Board, having considered the Swim Ireland Olympic Nomination Policy and taking into account the organisation’s ‘athlete first’ ethos, has confirmed that Ellen Walshe is eligible to be nominated by Swim Ireland to the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) to compete at the Olympic Games later this month. The OFI are on notice of this. Ellen Walshe will now be considered for nomination to the OFI by the Swim Ireland Selection Panel when they meet later this week.”

Walshe is one of six Irish swimmer to achieve a FINA ‘A’ standard time, joining Danielle Hill, Daniel Wiffen, Darragh Greene, Mona McSharry and Shane Ryan.

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