Swim Ireland’s 2022 Irish National Winter Championship took place at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre, Dublin from Thursday December 15 - Saturday December 17. Over 500 swimmers from both Ireland and overseas competed at the final National Championship meet of 2022.

While a host of elite swimmers competed for National titles it was Daniel Wiffen’s incredible swim in the 800m Freestyle, becoming the first ever Irishman to break a European record, that stole the show. Without doubt there was a lot of cheering in Fermanagh as Enniskillen Lakelanders head coach Ben Wiffen watched his brother storm home.

Under Ben Wiffen’s excellent coaching, two of Enniskillen Lakelanders age group swimmers made the qualifying standard to make their debut at the Winter Championships.

After a brilliant technical start Ellie Dunlop (13) completed her 200m Breaststroke coming in on her PB and finished the event as the fourth fastest 13-year-old at this open meet. Head Coach Ben Wiffen praised the young swimmer: “This was a big step up for Ellie competing at her first National Open Championships. She showed no fear and gained valuable experience racing against Ireland's best, at such a young age – a key component for long-term success in the sport.”

Jamie Lannon (14) executed a super-fast sprint in the 50m Breaststroke, achieving a one second PB finishing in a time of 32.53s and finishing the fastest 14-year-old in this open competition. Ben also had praise for Jamie’s performance: “A strong and powerful performance from Jamie who has worked diligently on improving his breaststroke speed, showcasing this in a stacked field of senior sprinters."

Both Ellie Dunlop and Jamie Lannon have had an incredible year of swimming success becoming regional and national medallists. To qualify and finish amongst the top of their age groups at this prestigious championship is an incredible achievement at such a young age, and both young swimmers are thrilled to have finished the 2022 season on a high. The Lakelanders look forward to seeing what these promising young athletes deliver in the coming season.