Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre witnessed another fantastic performance by local swimming sensation, Ellie McCartney, at the Irish Winter Championships, which marked the culmination of the 2023 competitive season. McCartney, a European Finalist in Romania, made waves with an outstanding display of skill and endurance.

McCartney set the tone early, shattering her personal best in the 100m Breaststroke by nearly a second, claiming silver with a swift 1:06.83, and signifying her readiness to swim fast. Not resting on her laurels, she powered through to a bronze finish in the 100m Butterfly, clocking in at an impressive 1:00.36 – another personal best.

The 18-year-old star chose to strategically withdraw from the 200m Freestyle final after finishing fifth in the heats to focus on her stronger events, a decision that paid dividends. McCartney's crowning achievement came in her signature event, the 200m Breaststroke. There, she not only struck gold but also set a new personal best of 2:25.31, underscoring her strength in the event.

The excitement peaked in the 200m Individual Medley where McCartney duelled with Tokyo Olympian Ellen Walshe. She emerged with a silver medal, but more significantly, she broke the Ulster Senior Record for an astonishing third time in a single week, posting a time of 2:10.98.

The junior section in the Irish Winter Meet is aged 18 and under, leaving McCartney with a tally of three gold medals and a bronze medal as she swims as a 19-year-old from January 1.

In team events, McCartney showed her versatility and team spirit with Ards in the 4 x 50m Mixed Freestyle Relay to a silver finish. She then contributed to a gold-medal performance and a new Irish senior record in the 4 x 50m Medley Relay, beating the previous record by two seconds with a time of 1:51.78.

As the short course season concludes, McCartney is set to enjoy a well-deserved break before diving back into training for the long course season, which is set to commence on January 1. Her performances have earned her a collection of medals and records but she remains focused on the 2024 Long Course season and what’s ahead.