Danielle Hill admits hectic schedule may have scuppered medal chances
Swimmer Danielle Hill admits she may be spinning too many plates after recording a disappointing seventh–place finish in the women’s 50m freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games.
The Larne pool star was underwhelmed with her time of 25.36 seconds and pointed to a hectic schedule which has seen her already compete in six different disciplines.
Hill finished down the field in a race that saw an all-Australian podium but mulled over a missed opportunity having expected faster times across the board.
The 22-year-old said: “I’m disappointed, more so with the time than anything but I’ve had a busy few days. I’ll have to sit down and look at my racing schedule, I can’t do everything clearly. I’ll see what I want to focus on moving forwards.
“This is how I always race, we knew it was going to be tough and we train the way we train because of that. I’m proud of what I’ve done in swimming so far and I have to just keep going.
“The whole field might be a bit disappointed with the times, there was a massive opportunity there for some of the girls to step up but it is what it is.”
It has already been a ground-breaking Games for the Northern Ireland swim team after Barry McClements claimed the nation’s first-ever Commonwealth medal in the pool with bronze in the men’s S9 100m backstroke on Friday.
And Hill, who is next in action in the 100m freestyle on Monday, revealed that Ards para-swimmer McClements’ magic had given a massive boost to the whole team stationed in Birmingham
She added: “Barry’s medal was incredible; it still hasn’t sunk in for anyone on the team.
“He’s not only put himself on the map, he’s put Northern Ireland on the map and Ireland as a whole. It’s really exciting for him and it’s given us all a bit of inspiration.”
Siomha Brady also came seventh in the pool on Sunday night in the women’s S8 100m backstroke but was delighted to achieve her goal of laying down a personal best in the Commonwealth final.
Brady clocked 1:34.08 in a race won by England’s Alice Tai to keep her in good spirits after McClements started the Northern Irish party in the Midlands.
The 16-year-old said: “It was a PB so it’s all I came here to do. It’s a big thing for me to be in a Commonwealth final so it’s very exciting.
“It’s a big chance [to be in an arena like this] but it’s a very exciting change and good to be in an atmosphere like this. I could hear the crowd going which helps.
“We had the first bronze, the first medal in the pool for Barry and all around it’s been a big party in Northern Ireland.
“Barry has been in good spirits; the whole team has been in good spirits.”
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