Mona McSharry is through to the 100m Breaststroke Final following another Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) swim at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. McSharry is now just the third Irish swimmer and first female swimmer in 29 years to make a world long course (50m) final.

The 22-year-old had advanced to the semi-final in second place in a new Irish Record time of 1:05.55, her first time under sixty-six seconds. This afternoon, the Sligo woman swam her second fastest time ever of 1:05.96, for second in her semi-final, held off only by 2016 Olympic Champion and current world record holder Lily King (1:05.45) of the USA.

2012 Olympic Champion and former world record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania once again lead the rankings in 1:05.09 with King second, and 200m Breaststroke Olympic Champion Tatjana Schoenmaker third in 1:05.53, leaving McSharry ranked fourth going into tomorrow’s final.

Speaking after the race McSharry said I’m super excited, I was reminiscing today about my last worlds which was in 2017 and I remember watching the final with my coach Grace and I was just in awe, so to be able to look forward six years now and actually be in that final that I was just watching and so excited to witness is really exciting.

She continued ‘Knowing that I got the Olympic time and that’s inevitably what I came here to do in such a big swim this morning, I was like if I can get anywhere near that I’ll be happy, and that’s what it is now a bonus, being able to progress through the rounds like I have is great’.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Final McSharry said ‘Getting my hand on that wall as quick as possible, really just race. We’ve got some great people in there, world record holders, Olympic medal winners and that’s really exciting and to be able to race against them is just great’.

The 100m Breaststroke Final will take place tomorrow at 1:45pm.

Tomorrow morning, Darragh Greene returns for his second swim of the week in the 50m Breaststroke, Victoria Catterson makes her individual debut in her main event, the 200m Freestyle and Daniel Wiffen makes his first appearance of the Championships in the heats of the 800m Freestyle.

LISTEN: Mona McSharry Reaction

Monday 24th July Results

Women 100m Backstroke                            Danielle Hill                         1:01.51 (27th)

Men 100m Backstroke                                   Conor Ferguson                54.36 (22nd)

Women 100m Breaststroke                        Mona McSharry                1:05.55 (2nd) ISR/OQT SF 1:05.96 (4th)

 

Tuesday 25th July Schedule

Men 50m Breaststroke                                 Darragh Greene                2:32am (IRE)

Women 200m Freestyle                               Victoria Catterson            2:47am (IRE)

Men 800m Freestyle                                      Daniel Wiffen                    3:32am (IRE)

Women 100m Breaststroke Final             Mona McSharry                1:45pm (IRE)

 

Previous World LC Championship Finalists

Daniel Wiffen    Budapest 2022                   Men’s 800m Freestyle (8th)

Michelle Smith  Rome 1994                          Women’s 200m Butterfly (5th)

 

The World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka is the first of three opportunities for Irish swimmers to secure individual Olympic places, the second being the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar in February 2024, and the third being the Irish Open Swimming Championships in May 2024.

For relays, the top three teams in Olympic relay events in Fukuoka will confirm places for Paris, with the remaining thirteen teams coming from the top times in Fukuoka and the Doha World Aquatics Championships.

Swimming at the World Aquatics Championships will take place from Sunday 23rd to Sunday 30th July.