Mona McSharry Caps Off Huge Week With Irish Record Bronze In Paris

The Sligo swimmer touched the wall in 29.95 seconds for a new national record. Lithuania’s Rūta Meilutytė won gold in 29.93, with Italy’s Benedetta Pilato edging McSharry out of silver by a single hundredth of a second in 29.94.

It was a third podium finish of the championships for the 2024 Olympic medallist, who had already won silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 200m. The medal was Ireland’s fifth of the week, as The 42 reported.

What Mona McSharry said after the final

McSharry told RTÉ Sport she had gone into the race chasing two things at once.

That was amazing, the goal going in was a 29, a medal would be great. The fact that I was able to get both, that first 25 just clicked. So I’m happy.

It has been a stacked week and it’s good to be able to show myself that I can perform back-to-back. The relay this morning rejuvenated me so that was great.

That relay came earlier on Sunday, when Lottie Cullen, McSharry, Ellen Walshe and Grace Davison finished sixth in the women’s 4x100m medley final and took almost three seconds off the Irish record.

There was heartbreak for Walshe. The Dubliner, who won gold in both the 200m and 400m individual medleys this week, was fourth in the 200m butterfly in 2:07.40 — another Irish record, but shy of Spain’s Laura Cabanes in bronze. Britain’s Keanna MacInnes took gold in 2:05.90.