Mona McSharry builds on bronze medal by making another semi-final

“I was trying my best not to expend too much energy mentally and this morning I was definitely a bit quiet but I think I’m always like that going into a 200. It was a good race so hopefully I can bring more energy tonight.”

ON THE MARCH AGAIN: Mona McSharry was back in action early on Wednesday morning, her 200m breaststroke heat time of 2:23.98 easily good enough to see her into the semis later in the evening. Pic: AP Photo/Ashley Landis.

Athletes spend years living monastic existences, weighing every gram of brown rice and hitting the hay exhausted before the nine o’clock news ends.

Then they come to an Olympics and all that structure and familiarity gets lost in the vortex.