Local swimmers starred at the World Championships
It was a memorable evening at the Kilkenny Swimming Club Spring Gala recently as not one but two swimmers, Maria Godden and Robbie English fresh from World Championship action took to the blocks in the Watershed.
Robbie English was part of Team Ireland at the Down Syndrome World Championships in Turkey where he won bronze in the 50m backstroke senior category and set PB’s in all the other events in which he raced.
Robbie trains with the Kilkenny A squad four times a week and also coaches the C Junior squad.
Maria Godden, made a little piece of history by becoming the first Kilkenny swimmer to compete at the FINA World Championships in Doha where she raced in all three backstroke events (50, 100 and 200m) backstroke.
This is swimming at the “top table” so to speak and Maria did herself, her family, Kilkenny and Ireland proud.
In her specialist 200m race Maria came agonisingly close to a semi-final spot falling short by just four hundredths of a second to finish 17th overall in the world. While in the 100m, she finished 20th, just missing a semi-final by four tenths of a second.
Speaking after the Championships in Doha, Maria was taking the positives from her experience. “It is disappointing to miss out on the two semi-finals by such small margins but it leaves me eager to get back to work.”
Work for Maria takes place for the most part in Limerick with Swim Ireland’s Centre of Excellence.
In an Olympic year, Maria is working towards qualification for the Paris Games for which she seeks qualification times.
At the gala itself, both Maria and Robbie were presented with gifts to acknowledge their achievements.
There was also one other acknowledgement on the day.
Head Coach, John Duffy’s name is synonymous with Kilkenny Swimming Club and 2024 marks an amazing 25 years of coaching with the club.
Many a Kilkenny swimmer has benefitted from his knowledge over the years and it was fitting that Maria Godden was on hand to present him with a gift and pay tribute to his years of dedication, early mornings and tough sessions.
The Watershed was packed to the rafters from 3pm as the D squad “dashers” from as young as six years of age took their first steps in competitive swimming.
With clubs from across the South East present there was great racing with plenty of PB’s set plus provincial and national qualification championship times attained.