Northern Ireland swimmers ready to take on best in Commonwealth

The Northern Ireland swimming team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July will be selected this week but after the Irish Nationals in Bangor, it should be a straight forward process.

On paper, it will also be the strongest squad ever to take on the rest of the Commonwealth.

For the first time it will include Olympic champions, World finalists and European medallists - as well as a defending gold medal winner from four years ago in Birmingham.

BBC Sport NI takes a look at who is likely to be representing Northern Ireland in Scotland this summer.

Olympic champion Wiffen leads the way

Daniel Wiffen has conquered the world since the last Commonwealth Games. when he won a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle in Birmingham.

The 24-year-old from Magheralin is now an Olympic and World champion, and picked up a trio of national titles in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle last week.

While he set the times needed for consideration for the Games, Wiffen was not overly happy with his times, indicating that he could move his training base back home from California.

The trials did not go well for twin brother, Nathan, who was way off his best times and failed to make the consideration marks.

Wiffen could end up racing his friend, Northern Ireland team mate and fellow Olympic gold medallist, Jack McMillan, in the 400m freestyle in Glasgow.

McMillan, who is part of the Team GB set-up, picked up a world title last year as part of the relay team before claiming a first senior gold individual medal by beating Wiffen in the 400m freestyle at the European Short Course Championships.

The Belfast man swims in the GB Championships this week looking to claim his place in the European Championships but he’s assured of representing Northern Ireland in Glasgow.

Conor Ferguson looks set to take his place in the 50m backstroke in Glasgow. The 26-year-old made his Olympic debut in Paris and reached two finals for Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Just three years ago, Ellie McCartney won Commonwealth Youth gold in Trinidad & Tobago in the 200m breaststroke and individual medley before picking up bronze in the 100m breaststroke.

She reached two finals in her first year as a senior at the European Championships in 2024 and last year finished seventh in the 200m breaststroke final at the Worlds.

At the Irish Nationals, the 20-year-old from Enniskillen finished second in all three of her events behind Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe, but chasing down the best in Ireland means she’s among the top swimmers in Europe and the Commonwealth.

Danielle Hill made her Commonwealth Games debut as a 14 year-old in 2014 in Glasgow so it will be a full circle moment for the Larne swimmer as she returns to the Scottish city for her fourth Games.

A two-time Olympian, the 26-year-old won the European title in the 50m backstroke as well as a silver in the 100m backstroke in Belgrade two years ago, and is continuing to recover from shoulder surgery and an ankle injury.

Another teen Commonwealth debutant was Grace Davison, who also appeared as a 14-year-old in Birmingham four years ago.

The teenager made her Olympics debut in Paris as a member of two relay teams and has consideration times for four events in Glasgow - including the 100m freestyle in which she owns the Irish record.

It could have been Malaysia celebrating the success of Lottie Cullen. The 23 year-old was raised in Ipoh before moving to Northern Ireland at the age of 10.

Cullen is a backstroke specialist and will likely swim both the 100m and 200m backstroke events in Glasgow after claiming both national titles in Bangor.

Once again a number of Para-swimming events will be integrated into the swimming programme, which is good news for Northern Ireland.

Commonwealth Games champion four years ago, Bethany Firth, has since then become a mum to Charlotte and returned to action last year winning individual bronze and relay gold at the World Championships.

The six-time Paralympic champion will be looking to add another title to her collection.

Barry McClements won Northern Ireland’s first medal in Birmingham in 2022, a bronze and has gone on to represent Ireland at two Paralympics in Tokyo and Paris and won bronze at the European Championships in 2024.

Other swimmers may be added once relay squads are considered but when the official announcement comes this will be the best prepared Northern Ireland swimming team to ever compete at a Commonwealth Games.