Image courtesy of UT Athletics Communication

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Four Tennessee swimmers combined to win eight medals, including three gold, during the 2021 FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships.

In total, nine different Vols and Lady Vols, both past and present, qualified for the world championships. The group posted 15 national-record swims throughout the week.

Kira Toussaint enjoyed a stellar performance during the championships, bringing one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. The Dutch swimmer was a member of the world champion 200 mixed medley relay squad, which threw down a time of 1:36.20.

Anchoring the 200 mixed free relay, Toussaint helped the Netherlands place second with a time of 1:28.61. She swam the backstroke leg of the 200 medley relay, posting a split of 26.08 to help the team finish third with a mark of 1:44.03. She rounded things out with another third-place time in the 200 free relay (1:34.89) on the final day of competition.

The Lady Vol duo of Tess Cieplucha (4:25.55) and Ellen Walshe (4:26.52) took gold and silver in the 400 IM during the first day of worlds. Cieplucha became the world champion after throwing down the fastest time of her career. She also brought home a gold medal in the 800 free relay after helping Canada qualifying for the finals during prelims.

Walshe set the Irish National Record that had stood since 1994 en route to the second-place finish in the 400 IM. She set the national record in the 100 fly (56.68) and 200 IM (2:08.69) as well. She also became the first Irish woman to win a medal at the World Swimming Championships. Throughout the week, she swam five record-setting performances.

Fellow Irish swimmer Mona McSharry brought home a bronze medal after throwing down a time of 1:03.92 in the 100 breast, making her the second Irish female swimmer ever to medal at the World Championships. She now holds the Irish National Records in the 50 breast (29.59), 100 breast (1:03.92), 100 IM (59.35) and 200 breast (2:20.19).

McSharry also finished fourth overall in the 50 breast. Her time in the 100 IM made her the first Irish swimmer to go under a minute in the event. Throughout the championships, she notched eight record-breaking swims.

Lyubomir Epitropov broke the Bulgarian National Record in the 100 breast, touching the wall in 58.27 during prelims.

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Source: UT Athletics Communication