Walshe 'shocked' after booking Ireland's second Olympic final in the pool

Sensational stuff. Ireland went 25 years between 1996 and 2021 without a single Olympic swimming finalist. Now we'll have two in one hour.

Mon, 29 Jul, 2024 - 10:53

Brendan O'Brien, Paris

Ireland has a second swimmer in an Olympic final this evening after Dublin’s Ellen Walshe booked her place in the big show for the women’s 400m individual medley at the Paris La Defence Arena.

Walshe finished fourth in her race and seventh overall and therefore making the crucial top eight. Her time of 4:39.97 was well off her PB but that’s very much like with the trend here at the specially converted arena.

“It’s a bit of a shock,” she said. “I saw fourth on the board and I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know’. It’s just a waiting game. I hadn’t seen the results from the heats before and, once I saw it, it was such a relief.

“The time left my head which I wasn’t too over the moon with, but I have another chance to have a go at this tonight.”

Walsh will race in her final at 7.30pm tonight, 55 minutes before her roommate in the Olympic Village Mona McSharry goes for a medal in the 100m breaststroke. McSharry booked her place with a brilliant swim on Sunday evening.

“She is my roomie, she came back at all hours this morning after recovery and physio and swim down,” said Walshe.

“We had joked about hopefully us all being in the final tonight. I am so glad to join her there. I can go back to the room and we can do the exact same thing tonight. I am super excited.”

This is sensational stuff. Ireland went 25 years between 1996 and 2021 without a single Olympic swimming finalist. Mona McSharry broke that run in Tokyo three years ago. Now she is one of two in a final within the space of one hour.

Danielle Hill continued the excellent start in the water for the team, her 1:00.40 bringing a 16th place overall and advancing her through to the semis of the 100m backstroke. Hill is back out in her semi-final this evening.

Elsewhere, Danielle Hill extended the excellent start in the water for the Irish team, her 1:00.40 bringing a 16th place overall and advancing her through to the semis of the 100m backstroke. She swims her semi-final in between Mona McSharry and Walshe’s finals this evening, at 7.57pm Irish time.

“What an incredible experience for a start, I had a French girl in my heat and the noise was deafening. They wouldn’t go silent at the start of the race, it’s something I’ve never experienced but can carry on now through the meet.

“I’m happy with how I put it together, the stuff that we’ve been working on is there and now tonight I’ve got to utilise what I’ve always had. I hope there’s another gear.”