Condron just pipped for national title after superb display

Alex Condron claimed second place in the 200-metre breaststroke and missed out on the senior title by three tenths of a second at the Irish National Short Course Swimming Championships in Lisburn last weekend. The Tullamore teenager's time of 2.20.08 automatically qualified him for the British Age Group championship in Sheffield next July. On Saturday last, Alex finished third in the 100m breaststroke in a time of 1.06.60 and the race was won by Barry Murphy who is representing Ireland in the 2012 London Olympics . This has to be a first for Offaly in Swimming in a National Senior Event, considering Alex is only 16, and he has to be a serious prospect for the future. In other events, Alex made the B final in the 200m freestyle in a time of 1.58.00 and in the 400m freestyle he did a time of 4.15 and made it to the A final. His brother Ryan, though missing out of medals, achieved two personal bests - one in the 100m freestyle in a time of 57 seconds, and in the mile he did a time of 17.40. Alex Condron trains with Athlone Swimming Club and he is among the winners (along with club colleagues Brendan Gibbons and Chloe Joyce) in the sports awards scheme run by the Offaly Independent's sister newspaper, the Westmeath Independent. The awards are sponsored by the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone, and Alex and the other winners will be presented with their awards at a gala night at the hotel on Friday, January 27, 2012. Meanwhile, in last Lisburn last weekend, European Junior medallist Sycerika McMahon was in great form, breaking the senior 100m breaststroke and 200m Individual medley records and the junior 200m butterfly record and picked up three gold medals on the way. McMahon won the heats of the 100m breaststroke comfortably in a time of 1:09.27, before breaking her own Irish Senior record (1:07.93) in this evening's final in a time of 1:07.83. The Leander swimmer then followed up with a record breaking swim in the 200m butterfly final clocking 2:13.52, before breaking Grainne Murphy's 200m individual medley record (2:12.86) finishing in 2:12.41. The 16-year-old swimming sensation finished day one with a hat trick of gold medals and competes again tomorrow in 5 more events. Swimming for Aer Lingus SC, Olympic qualifier Barry Murphy posted a new Irish Senior record and secured four gold medals. Murphy put in a fantastic performance in the 100m butterfly to ensure gold and set a new Irish senior record time of 53.34 (previously held by Steven McQuillan 54.06). Murphy then went on to win the 50m breaststroke (27.53) and 100m individual medley (55.71).