Get ready to be amazed! John Shortt, the reigning World Junior Champion in the 200m backstroke, just shattered the Irish record in the 200m individual medley (IM) at the Irish Winter Swimming Championships! This is a story of incredible talent and unexpected victories.
Here are the key details of the event:
- Competition: 2025 Irish Winter Swimming Championships
- Dates: December 12-14, 2025
- Location: National Aquatic Centre, Dublin, Ireland
- Pool Type: Short Course Meters (25m)
Shortt, known for his backstroke prowess, dove into a new challenge and emerged victorious. He not only crushed his personal best but also rewrote the Irish record books.
His winning time? A blistering 1:55.80. To put that in perspective, this is a massive improvement over his previous best time from 2019, when he was just 12 years old! But here's where it gets really interesting: he beat the previous Irish record of 1:56.74, set in 2019 by Brendan Hyland.
And the surprises keep coming! Shortt, at just 18, also demolished the Irish Junior Record of 1:58.36, set in 2018 by Jack McMillan.
Let's dive into a comparison of the splits:
| Swimmer | Stroke | 50m Split |
| --------------- | ------- | --------- |
| Brendan Hyland (Old Record) | Butterfly | 25.01 |
| John Shortt (New Record) | Butterfly | 25.50 |
| Brendan Hyland (Old Record) | Backstroke | 30.23 |
| John Shortt (New Record) | Backstroke | 27.78 |
| Brendan Hyland (Old Record) | Breaststroke | 33.48 |
| John Shortt (New Record) | Breaststroke | 35.54 |
| Brendan Hyland (Old Record) | Freestyle | 28.02 |
| John Shortt (New Record) | Freestyle | 26.98 |
| Total Time | | |
| Brendan Hyland (Old Record) | | 1:56.74 |
| John Shortt (New Record) | | 1:55.80 |
Shortt is also scheduled to compete in the 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 50m freestyle, and 200m freestyle later in the competition.
Other Day 1 Highlights:
- Lottie Cullen from Northern Ireland won the women's 50m backstroke in 26.77, improving her personal best.
- Ellen Walshe, fresh off winning the European Championship in the 200m IM and silver in the 200m butterfly, took the 100m freestyle in Dublin with a time of 53.18. This is a significant improvement, putting her just 0.15 seconds away from Danielle Hill's Irish record of 53.03 from 2023. Walshe is using this meet to focus on secondary events, including the 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly, and 400m freestyle.
- 21-year-old Jack Cassin won the 200m butterfly in 1:54.44.
- Eoin Corby, the Irish record holder in the 200m breaststroke (short course meters) from the European Championships, swam 58.60 in the 100m on Friday.
- 17-year-old Ava Jones won the women's 100m breaststroke in 1:08.26.
What do you think of Shortt's incredible performance? Do you believe this marks a turning point in his career? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
