Mona McSharry came agonisingly close to winning Ireland’s first ever
world long course medal at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan
this afternoon, ultimately touching in fifth place in the 100m
Breaststroke Final.
The 22-year-old Sligo native clocked 1:06.07 and was just .13 of a
second off the bronze medal. In a stacked field, McSharry came home
behind four Olympic gold medallists including 2012 Olympic champion Ruta
Meilutyte from Lithuania, who took gold in 1:04.62, Tokyo 2020 200m
Breaststroke champion Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa in 1:05.84,
Tokyo Olympic champion in the 100m Breaststroke Lydia Jacoby of the USA
in 1:05.94, and Rio 2016 gold medallist and world record holder in the
event Lily King of the USA in 1:06.02.
McSharry, who has swam inside the Olympic Qualification Time for Paris
2024 three times in the past two days, spoke after the race commenting
‘I think looking at it, it’s obviously a little painful, especially not
swimming fastest in the final hurts, but it’s all learning experience
and when I look at the people that came ahead of me, world champions,
record holders, Olympic champions, so to be up there and racing against
them and have it be such a close race is giving me a great confidence
boost. I just have to carry on to the rest of the events this week and
not let it take me down. I think it’s great to be able to practice
racing against those people for the Olympics next year because that’s
the main goal in my mind, it’s just training and preparing for that
meet, so look it’s a great result, fifth in the world, I can’t be too
upset with it.’
