Mona McSharry breaks Irish record in Tokyo: 'It just shows that I'm good enough'

Mona McSharry of Ireland in action during the heats of the women's 200 metre breaststroke. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Sportsfile

Sligo swimming star Mona McSharry is once again making waves at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre just a day after reaching the Olympic 100m breaststroke final. The 20-year-old swimmer was in action in the heats of the 200m breaststroke on Wednesday evening and she showed no lingering fatigue from yesterday’s effort, clocking an Irish senior record of 2:25.08 to finish second in her heat.

That took almost a second off the previous record, 2:25.92, which she set at the national team trials in April.

Her time placed her 20th overall and was not enough to secure her a place in the semi-finals with only the top 16 advancing.

Ireland’s Mona McSharry. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

It caps what has been an exceptional week for McSharry, who became the first Irish swimmer in 25 years to make an Olympic final, finishing eighth in the final of the 100m breaststroke on Tuesday morning.

“It just shows that I'm good enough,” she said following that race. “That gives me confidence that what I’m doing is right. I’m only from a small little club in the west of Ireland, and it just goes to show that anyone can make it if you’re willing to work hard enough.”