COMMONWEALTHS: Invaluable experience for teenager Hill

In the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay the Larne Swimming Club member, along with Sycerika McMahon, Bethany Firth and Rachel Bethel, came eighth in Thursday’s final (July 24) in a time of 3:52.88. Australia won the gold.

Hill finished 20th in the Women’s 200m freestyle heats earlier that day. “It was a very strong swim. I think I went a little fast but I’m still learning. I’m hoping to progress and be even better for my main events,” she said.

In the women’s 50m freestyle heats the Carnmoney girl set a personal best time, finishing second in 27:23. She then found herself in a swim-off for the last qualifying place in the women’s 100m backstroke semi-finals and with a time of 1:05.36 - another PB. She finished in 15th in 1:06.17. She was 14th in the women’s 200m backstroke (2:26.52) and 13th in the women’s 50m backstroke in a time of 30.87.

“For some of the younger swimmers there has been a lot to learn and I think they will come away from Glasgow better for the experience,” said Swim Ulster Performance Director Andrew Reid.

“They’ve developed as athletes, they developed as people and going forward they will be much stronger in terms of dealing with disappointments and also being able to handle walking out in front of 7,000 people and into that arena and competing with world and Olympic champions in the lanes beside them.”

On Tuesday night (July 29), in a frustrating end to the meet, the women’s medley relay team were disqualified.