Ellen Walshe (born 29 September 2001) is an Irish swimmer. She is a two-time European champion, winning the individual medley double (200 m and 400 m IM) at the 2026 European Aquatics Championships.
She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 100 metre butterfly and the 200 metre individual medley. At the 2021 World Swimming Championships, she won the silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley. She was the first swimmer representing Ireland to win a medal higher than a bronze medal at a World Swimming Championships. Collegiately, she competes for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Background Walshe started attending the University of Tennessee in 2021, where she competes as part of the Tennessee Volunteers swim team."Tennessee Swimming & Diving Roster: Ellen Walshe". Tennessee Volunteers. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
Career 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival When Walshe was 13 years old, she won the silver medal in the 100 metre butterfly with a time of 1:02.17 at the 2015 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival held in Tbilisi, Georgia in July and August 2015.Leonard, Stephen (6 August 2015). "Walshe captures silver in European Youth Olympics". Echo.ie. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
2019 World Aquatics Championships In July 2019, at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, Walshe placed 35th in the prelims heats of the 100 metre butterfly on the first day of competition with a time of 1:00.85.FINA (21 July 2019). "18th FINA World Championships Gwangju (KOR): Women's 100m Butterfly Preliminary Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 2 February 2022. Three days later, she placed 19th in the prelims heats of the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay swimming the butterfly leg of the relay in a 1:00.89 and achieving a time of 3:53.69 with her Ireland relay teammates Conor Ferguson (backstroke), Niamh Coyne (breaststroke), and Robert Powell (freestyle).FINA (24 July 2019). "18th FINA World Championships Gwangju (KOR): Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Preliminary Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
2020 European Aquatics Championships On 23 May 2021, at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships held at Danube Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Walshe set a new Irish record in the 4×100 metre medley relay with Danielle Hill, Mona McSharry, and Victoria Catterson at 4:02.93 and placed 11th overall.LEN (23 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships Swimming: Results 4 x 100 m Medley Women Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 2 February 2022. Three days earlier she split a 1:001.18 on the butterfly leg of the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay to help place 13th and achieve a new Irish record time of 3:49.08 with Shane Ryan, Darragh Greene, and Danielle Hill.LEN (20 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships Swimming: Results 4 x 100 m Medley Mixed Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
2020 Summer Olympics
At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Walshe won her heat, placed 24th overall, and did not advance to the semifinals in the 100 metre butterfly with her time of 59.35 seconds."Win in 100m Butterfly heat not enough for Ellen Walshe to make semis while Darragh Greene exits 100m Breaststroke". Irish Independent. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022."Ireland's Ellen Walshe wins heat but misses out on semi-finals along with Greene". The42.ie. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022. In her second and final event, Walshe placed 19th overall in the 200 metre individual medley prelims heats with a time of 2:13.34 and finished eighth in prelims heat number four."2020 Summer Olympics Results - Swimming: Women's 200m Individual Medley". ESPN. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.Omega Timing; Atos (1 August 2021). "Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Swimming Results Book" . International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
2021 World Swimming Championships
At the 2021 World Swimming Championships conducted in short course metres and held at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Walshe set a new Irish record in the 400 metre individual medley with a time of 4:30.78 in the prelims heats, which qualified her for the final ranking fourth.FINA (16 December 2021). "15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 Abu Dhabi (UAE): Women's 400m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 December 2021.Race, Retta (16 December 2021). "Ellen Walshe Takes Down Irish 400 IM Record From 1994". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 December 2021. In the final of the event, Walshe won the silver medal with a time of 4:26.52, lowering her own Irish record she set in the prelims heats and finishing less than one second after Tessa Cieplucha of Canada."Ellen Walshe: Dubliner wins World Short Course Championship silver medal". BBC Sport. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2022.FINA (16 December 2021). "15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 Abu Dhabi (UAE): Women's 400m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 December 2021.Race, Retta (16 December 2021). "Ireland's Tennessee Vol Ellen Walshe Hacks More Time Off 400 IM National Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 December 2021.McGoldrick, Sean (16 December 2021). "Ellen Walshe wins silver medal in 400m individual medley at World event in Dubai". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 December 2021. Her silver medal was the second medal won by a swimmer representing Ireland at a World Swimming Championships and the first one won at the championships in an event held at the Olympic Games.O'Riordan, Ian (16 December 2021). "Ellen Walshe wins silver for Ireland at World Short Course Championships". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 December 2021."Ellen Walshe wins Silver at the World Championships" . Swim Ireland. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
The second day of competition, in the prelims heats of the 200 metre butterfly, Walshe ranked 14th overall with a 2:08.16 and did not qualify for the final.FINA (17 December 2021). "15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 Abu Dhabi (UAE): Women's 200m Butterfly Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 17 December 2021. In the prelims heats of the 50 metre butterfly on day three, Walshe placed 22nd with a time of 26.33 seconds, not advancing to the semifinals.FINA (18 December 2021). "15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 Abu Dhabi (UAE): Women's 50m Butterfly Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 18 December 2021. On the fifth day, Walshe ranked ninth in the prelims heats of the 200 metre individual medley with a 2:08.69 and achieved alternate status for the final.FINA (20 December 2021). "15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 Abu Dhabi (UAE): Women's 200m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 20 December 2021. Her time of 2:08.69 set a new Irish record.Race, Retta (20 December 2021). "Walshe & Wiffen Score Huge New Irish Records On Day 5 Heats In Abu Dhabi". SwimSwam. Retrieved 20 December 2021. Later in the same prelims session, Walshe qualified for the semifinals of the 100 metre butterfly with an Irish record time of 57.32 seconds that tied her in rank for fourteenth with Margaret MacNeil of Canada.FINA (20 December 2021). "15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 Abu Dhabi (UAE): Women's 100m Butterfly Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 20 December 2021. In the semifinals of the 100 metre butterfly, Walshe ranked ninth and attained first alternate status for the final with an Irish record time of 56.68 seconds.FINA (20 December 2021). "15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 Abu Dhabi (UAE): Women's 100m Butterfly Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
Walshe's silver medal was one of two medals won by swimmers representing Ireland at the championships, the other was a bronze medal, which made her medal the highest-medal-finish by a swimmer from the country at a World Swimming Championships.Keith, Braden (21 December 2021). "United States Tops SC World Championships Medals Table For 3rd Straight Edition". SwimSwam. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
2021–2022 collegiate season At the Tennessee Invitational in the autumn of Walshe's first collegiate season, also called a freshman year, she swam a personal best time in the 100 yard butterfly with a 50.24, taking first-place and ranking first in the NCAA in the event for the season, just 0.06 seconds ahead of Torri Huske.Rieder, David (19 November 2021). "Alex Walsh, Mona McSharry, Rhyan White and Ellen Walshe Sizzle at Tennessee Invitational". Swimming World. Retrieved 23 January 2022. In her first collegiate double dual meet of the 2022 year, Walshe won the 200 yard individual medley in 1:59.19 and placed fourth in the 100 yard freestyle in 50.92 seconds, helping her team, the Tennessee Volunteers, win against Duke University and Queens University."Vols, Lady Vols Sweep Double Dual Against Duke and Queens University". Tennessee Volunteers. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022. Later in the month, Walshe won the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 52.91 seconds and won the 200 yard individual medley in 1:57.47, a little slower than her best time of 1:54.77 for the season, in a dual meet against the University of Georgia to help her team win the meet.Rieder, David (22 January 2022). "Luca Urlando Leads Georgia Men to Win Over Tennessee; Ellen Walshe Paces Tennessee Women in Triumph". Swimming World. Retrieved 23 January 2022. In the same meet, she also achieved a win as part of the 4×100 yard freestyle relay with a final time of 3:20.01.Manley, John (27 January 2022). "Dublin's Walshe stings in the butterfly". The Irish Echo. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
2022 Southeastern Conference Championships