Mona McSharry lit up the Fukuoka World Championships pool this morning securing an Olympic Qualification Time for Paris 2024 in the 100m Breaststroke Heats.
The Tokyo Olympic Finalist showed her class with a win in the penultimate heat to progress to this evening’s semi-final as the second fastest qualifier in 1:05.55. The time is the Sligo native’s first venture inside 66 seconds, with her previous best and Irish Record sitting at 1:06.04.
A delighted McSharry spoke after the race, "I’m just buzzing, going into it I knew what my abilities were and I did fully wholeheartedly believe in it, and I think that really did make all the difference, knowing going into it that I can do this, I can go 65 (seconds). I mean that was my target, that and to get the qualification time and both were done in the heats, so now I can just enjoy racing tonight."
Tonight’s semi-final saw McSharry, who trains at the University of Tennessee, in a stacked field that includes the 2016 and 2021 Olympic Champions. World Record holder and 2012 Olympic Champion Ruta Meilutyte, who posted the fastest time in this morning’s heats of 1:04.67, will be in the second semi-final.
McSharry said, "It’s great, I’m up there with the best and you can’t really ask for anything more. I keep surprising myself, but it is just awesome to think that I’m here and I’m getting to race the best in the world."
The Women’s 100m Breaststroke Semi-Final took place today at 12.28pm Irish Time. McSharry placed fourth place in 1:05.96, and advances to the 100m Breaststroke Final. She will compete tomorrow at 1.45pm.
Also, in action this morning, Larne’s Danielle Hill made her individual World Championships debut in the 100m Backstroke clocking 1:01.51. Hill has a busy week ahead and will return to the pool on Wednesday for the 50m Backstroke.
Yesterday, Olympic Swimmer Ellen Walshe set a new Irish record in the 200m IM semi-final and in the process, qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics with a time of 2:10.92.
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.
Monday 24th July Results:
Women 100m Backstroke Danielle Hill 1:01.51 (27th)
Women 100m Breaststroke Mona McSharry 1:05.55 (2nd) ISR/OQT
Monday 24th July Schedule:
Women 100m Breaststroke Mona McSharry 12.28pm (IRE)
