'Pretty exciting': Mona McSharry sets new Irish 200m breaststroke record

Galway's John Shortt claimed his second national title at the Irish Open Championships and set a new Irish record in the 50m backstroke

Mona McSharry swam the third-fastest 200m breakstroke in the world this year. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry swam her fastest time ever to set a new Irish and championship record in the 200m breaststroke at the Irish Open Championships on Friday in Bangor.

The Marlins swimmer, who is based in Tennessee, dominated the race finishing in 2:22.22, inside her 2024 Irish record of 2:22.49 and the Championship Record of 2:23.02 she swam in Friday morning’s heats. The time is the third fastest in the world so far this year behind the USA’s Kate Douglass (2:22.01) and Great Britain’s Angharad Evans (2:22.02).

"It’s pretty exciting," said McSharry, "that 200 breaststroke is that event where you never really know where it’s going to be on every day. I mean it’s just to nice to see the hard work in training pay off and be able to put together a really good race."

John Shortt secured his second championship record of the week with a stunning performance in the 50m backstroke final, touching in 25.08 to better the previous mark of 25.09 set in 2023. The National Centre Limerick swimmer claimed his second national title of the championships, adding to his Irish and championship record and gold medal in the 100m backstroke.

Another Paris Olympian, Danielle Hill, claimed her first national title of the week with victory in the Women’s 50m backstroke final. The Larne swimmer clocked 28.43, dipping under the European Championships and Commonwealth Games consideration time of 28.64. 

Grace Davison, already crowned 100m freestyle champion, completed a freestyle double with victory in the 200m, touching in 1:59.52 to break the two‑minute barrier for the first time in her career. The 18‑year‑old Ards swimmer now moves to second on Ireland’s all‑time list for the event, behind Irish record holder Ellen Walshe, with her time also inside the European Championships and Commonwealth Games consideration standards. 

100m Freestyle champion Evan Bailey also completed a freestyle double with victory in the 200m, clocking 1:47.81 to dip under the consideration time for the European Aquatics Championships. 

Ellen Walshe, who set a new Irish record in the 200m freestyle during the Friday morning heats, withdrew from that event to focus on the 100m butterfly final, where she secured her third national title of the championships. The Templeogue swimmer, already crowned champion in the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley, was the only athlete to dip under the one-minute mark, winning in 58.74. 

National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin added the 100m butterfly title to the 200m gold he claimed on Wednesday while Jack Kelly claimed his second national title of the week as he added 200m breaststroke gold to the 50m title he secured on Thursday.