Powell named in Ireland squad for World Championships
Athlone swimmer Robbie Powell has been selected in Swim Ireland's squad for the 2021 FINA World Championships which will take place in the United Arab Emirates next month.
Powell began his swimming carer with Athlone Swimming Club and the talented DCU student is now attached to the National Centre in Dublin.
Last year, Powell received a one-year ban for accidental use of a listed substance, with Sport Ireland accepting that it was an unintentional breach of the anti-doping rules.
Having since returned to competitive action, Robbie is one 12 swimmers included in an Ireland squad which features eight Olympians, including Mona McSharry, a finalist in the Tokyo Olympics. Mona from Sligo is a niece of well-known Athlone businessman Ray McSharry.
Longford's Darragh Greene is the only Tokyo 2020 swimmer not travelling to Abu Dhabi (see squad below), as he only recently returned to the training pool after an extended post-Olympics break.
The World Championships are set to run over six days, December 16-21, in Abu Dhabi, while the LEN European Championships are taking place this week in Kazan, Russia.
In the main, athletes were selected to compete in one or other of the two events, as it is unusual for both to take place in the same calendar year. However, events being pushed back because of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the end of 2021 and much of 2022 being more hectic for international racing than usual.
The Swim Ireland Selection Policy permitted McSharry a place on both Irish teams at these two events, but she will focus on the Abu Dhabi event due to her ongoing academic commitments.
The athletes returning from Kazan will also race in the 2021 Irish National Short Course Championships, which take place at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin from December 16-18.
2021 FINA World Championships (25m), Abu Dhabi, UAE
Calum Bain, University of Stirling, Scotland, coach: Bradley Hay
Niamh Coyne, National Centre (Dublin), Ben Higson
Danielle Hill, Larne Swimming Club, Peter Hill
Brendan Hyland, National Centre (Dublin), Ben Higson
Finn McGeever, National Centre (Limerick), John Szaranek
Jack McMillan, National Centre (Ulster), Davy Johnston
Mona McSharry, University of Tennessee, USA, Matt Kredich
Robert Powell, National Centre (Dublin), Ben Higson
Shane Ryan, National Centre (Dublin), Ben Higson
Jordan Sloan, National Centre (Ulster), Davy Johnston
Ellen Walshe, University of Tennessee, USA, Matt Kredich
Daniel Wiffen, Loughborough University, England, Andi Manley.
2021 LEN European Championships (25m), Kazan, Russia
Eoin Corby, National Centre (Limerick), coach: John Szaranek
Grace Hodgins, Trojan Swimming Club (Dublin), Jonathan Preston
Molly Mayne, Hamilton Aquatics, UAE, Ash Morris.