Mona McSharry produced a stunning performance on her Olympic debut in Tokyo on Sunday evening, the Sligo swimmer advancing to the semi-finals of the 100m breaststroke after clocking 1:06.39.
he time was just 0.1 off her Irish senior record and meant McSharry was the ninth-fastest of those advancing. It marked a superb entrance on the Olympic stage for the 20-year-old from Grange, a scholarship student at the University of Tennessee. McSharry, of course, has long been a name marked to make waves at this level, ever since winning gold and bronze medals at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
“I’m really excited, it was really nice to do that,” she said. “It’s something else competing at the Olympics and I’m so glad I got the first race done and so happy I get to do another one. I really burned coming up the last 25 (metres) and I could see the Swiss on the right of me kind of catch me and I said, ‘no, she’s not going to pass me out.’”
Speaking of her move stateside last year, McSharry said: “I really enjoy it, I made so many friends and it’s taken me away from times, it’s more about competing and getting your hand on the wall first and that is why we do this – to compete and race against people, that adrenaline rush you get.”
Her Irish teammate Danielle Hill was also in action, finishing third in her heat of the 100m backstroke in 1:00.86.
“I’m a little disappointed with how it went, but I’m proud to put the Irish hat on and represent Larne,” she said. “I’m happy in ways but I’m disappointed with the performance. I think I was a little scared to attack it, I should have went out after it but the only way I’m going to learn is by doing it wrong. I’ll take away the positives.”