Records tumble as Walshe wins World Cup gold and McSharry takes silver

Ellen Walshe, Mona McSharry, Lottie Cullen have all set new Irish records. 

Ellen Walshe broke the Irish 400m individual medley record. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Ellen Walshe and Mona McSharry impressed once again in Toronto as the duo claimed gold and silver medals, respectively, in new Irish records at the World Aquatics World Cup. On Friday, another record-setter joined the club with Lottie Cullen making her first mark on the Irish record books.

With a gold, three silvers and a bronze already secured at this year's World Cup, Ellen Walshe won her second gold in the 400m individual medley, destroying her Irish record set in last week's win in Westmont, her fifth Irish record on the tour.

The Templeogue swimmer took the win with over a second to spare on her closest rival in a new Irish record of 4:22.97, hacking over two seconds off the standard she set last week of 4:25.38. Walshe had owned the previous record of 4:26.52 from the World Aquatics World Championships (SC) in 2021 where she won a silver medal.

Second after the butterfly and backstroke legs, a monster breaststroke swim, over a second faster than last week's in 1:14.2, saw her take a lead she never relinquished, winning out over Canada’s Mary Sophie Harvey (4:24.25) and Japan’s Mio Narita (4:26.43).

Mona McSharry won her second medal of the weekend and fourth of the tour as she took a silver medal once again in the 100m breaststroke final. Setting her fourth Irish record across the World Cup stops.

McSharry won her heat earlier in the day in 1:03.96, just .04 outside the Irish record. She improved that time in the final, clocking 1:03.84 knocking eight hundredths of a second off her own 2021 standard of 1:03.92.

The USA’s Kate Douglass won the event for the third week and claimed the ‘triple crown’ in 1:02.93, while South Africa’s Rebecca Meder was third in 1:04.48.

In the morning heats on Friday, Lottie Cullen stamped her name into the Irish record books, posting 57.31 to set a new Irish senior record in the 100m backstroke.

The National Centre (Ulster) swimmer went under the existing record of 57.56, set by Danielle Hill in 2023.

The final day of racing in Toronto will see Walshe race the 200m individual medley with Ellie McCartney, while McSharry returns for the 50m breaststroke where she won gold last week in Westmont. Lottie Cullen swims the 200m backstroke, Brandon Biss the 100m backstroke, Lachey Reed the 200m breaststroke and Rosalie Phelan the 100m freestyle.