No need to whisper it now. Two super impressive swims by Mona McSharry has put her into Monday’s Olympic 100 metres breaststroke final ranked second fastest overall, and ahead of some of the best event specialists of all time.
Inspired no doubt by the wild spectator support inside the Paris La Défense Arena, the Sligo swimmer returned to the pool for the semi-finals on Sunday night after first impressing in her morning heat. She then swam the fastest time of her life to nail that second of the eight final places, improving her Irish record to 1:05.51.
The victory went to Tatjana Smith from South Africa, the Olympic record holder, who touched home in 1:05.00, exactly matching her heat time from earlier on Sunday morning. Lilly King, the world record holder from the US, was third in 1:05.64, with previous Olympic champion from 2012 Ruta Meilutyte from Lithuania also finishing behind McSharry.
“Yeah, it was very good, happy to progress through the rounds like that, can’t ask for anything better,” McSharry said, cool as she liked.
Sonia O’Sullivan: A jog down Olympic memory lane shows how far Irish athletes have come
Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn retires from competitive breaking after Olympic upset
Olympic boxer Imane Khelif takes legal action over male chromosomes claims
Olympic Federation of Ireland confirms two candidates running to be new president
“To have that place in the final, that was really the only job in the semis, to progress. I definitely think I swam my race better without focusing too much on anyone around me. [I] did go out a little slower in the first 50, which is probably just being a little more relaxed, and not a bad thing, because I came back faster.”
And no reason whatsoever to dismiss that medal chance now – her final set for 8.25pm Irish time on Monday night.
“Look, it’s one in eight, we’ve all got a chance, it’s exciting to be up there, and being in a middle lane as well is going to be great, that’s what I’ve come here to do, and definitely very excited.
“I’ve a few friends and family up there in the stands. I’ve worked really hard, so it’s just chill, and sleep, and eat from here. Having these two races under my belt now has definitely helped, and it’s all familiar faces.”
No woman in the first semi-final went faster, with China’s reigning world champion Tang Qianting, who had got the better of McSharry in her heat, touching home in 1:05.83.
McSharry’s heat time of 1:05.74 was then the second fastest time of her life, before her 1:05.51 improved her Irish record of 1:05.55 from last year.
Three years ago in Tokyo, the now 23-year-old became the first Irish swimmer since Michelle de Bruin to make an Olympic final when she progressed to the 100m breaststroke decider, where she finished eighth in 1:06.94.
Starting in lane four, McSharry was lying in fourth at the turn, before promptly making up ground on Smith in the closing 50m.
She also believes there might be more to come. “Yeah, I always love to say I can go faster, it does mean bringing it all together. I was thinking today, sometimes I still feel like the new kid on the block, but it’s also exciting to know I’m racing against the best and holding my own.”
She’d clearly come to Paris in excellent form, dipping under 1:06.00 here for the first time this year. At the World Championships in Doha in February, she was fifth in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke finals, missing a 100m medal by just 0.5 of a second.
In June she also qualified for a second event in Paris by smashing her Irish 200m record by over two seconds, clocking 2:22.49.
Daniel Wiffen will also get his medal hopes under way on Monday morning in heat four of the 800m freestyle, the Armagh swimmer drawn against Sam Short from Australia, who has a best of 7:37.76 compared to Wiffen’s 7:39.19. Defending champion Bobby Finke from the US goes in the previous heat, his best time being 7:38.67
