Mona McSharry wins bronze medal at World Swimming Championships

Mon, 20 Dec, 2021 - 16:48

Mona McSharry has won bronze in 100m breaststroke at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships with an Irish senior record-breaking swim to give Ireland their second medal at these Championships – and a third World Championships medal for Irish swimming.

Agonisingly close to winning a bronze medal in 50m breaststroke on Friday, McSharry made up for that on Monday, lowering the Irish record she set in the semi-finals with a final time of 1:03.97.

This adds to the bronze medal she won at the 2019 LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships in the 50m breaststroke, and to Ellen Walshe’s 400m individual medley silver medal – won on Thursday to give Ireland their first-ever female swimming world medal.

McSharry said: “I was definitely nervous going into it because I knew I had the potential to medal and it’s really nice to see that all come together in a race. It felt really good and I’m glad I dropped time too.

“It’s been amazing. It’s been really enjoyable to watch other teammates swim really well and have a great time. This is the first time we’ve gotten together as a group since the Olympics and it’s much of the same swimmers, and it’s just really nice to be able to have fun and compete together and be up against the best in the world.”

Jack McMillan powered home over the last 25m of his 100m freestyle semi-final to earn the eighth spot in the final. This will be the newly formed National Centre Ulster’s first World Championships final.

McMillan had never swum this event faster than 47 seconds and clocked 46.70, a time only 0.02 off two-time Olympian Shane Ryan’s Irish senior record.

Silver medallist Walshe concluded an unforgettable week in Abu Dhabi with her fifth Irish senior record-breaking swim to finish ninth in the 100m butterfly semi-finals. Having broken her own record in the heats, she again lowered it in the next round setting the new standard at 56.68 and missing out on the final by a mere 0.06.

The Irish team has now set 16 new national senior records at these Championships with one day left of racing.

On the final day of competition, Ireland can already boast Daniel Wiffen and Jack McMillan to feature in finals, with Niamh Coyne and McSharry set to compete in the 200m breaststroke heats in the morning as well.