Courtesy of Cian Roche
When an athlete describes their best performance of a competition as being in the semi-final, one assumes they have come up just short in the final.
It’s for this reason that Mona McSharry’s gold medal performance in the final of the 50m breaststroke at the European Junior Swimming Championships is so curious.
At just 16, the Sligo native became Ireland’s most decorated European Junior medallist with two gold medals and a silver medal in Israel, adding to her silver and bronze from the 2016 edition.
But her highlight came in the semi-final of the 50m breaststroke, when she smashed her own personal best and set a new Irish senior record of 30.91 seconds, breaking Fiona Doyle’s 2013 time of 30.93 seconds.
“People on the outside think it’s amazing, but it takes me a little bit of time to process everything that’s been done,” she explains.
“Realistically, it’ll never hit me too hard because I know where I want to go in three years time. These are just the things that I have to do.
“I know myself it was one of the best races I’ve ever swam. It was great to win the final, but to win in the semi-final and secure an Irish senior record was amazing.
“It doesn’t matter how many medals you have, I’m here to race the clock and whatever the outcome is I will accept and move on.”
Her championship campaign wrapped up with three medals and new junior and senior records, but the Marlins swimmer isn’t getting too carried away by her achievements.
“I knew I was going out there to perform as well as I could and I’m happy with the account I gave of myself.”
All conquering over 50m and 100m, a second-place finish in the 200m event caught a lot of her attention when she took stock of her displays last Monday afternoon.
To exceed expectations and learn more about her capabilities in the pool, she says, serve her better than gold medals – for the time being at least.
In order to grow and develop into one of Europe’s elite swimmers, McSharry knows she must continue to learn her craft.
“I was surprised definitely in the 200m, to get silver in the final was a huge achievement for me. It was probably one of the best performances of the weekend in my eyes.”
Her performance caught the attention of Irish Olympian Doyle, who tweeted that McSharry should “keep up the amazing work”.
Still at an early point in her fledgling career in elite swimming, her talent has been recognised within Irish swimming’s governing body and rewarded with a place on the senior team for the FINA World Championships in July.
“It’s important to remember that I am only a junior but to be included in the team I still think is amazing. I’m happy to be there and for people to see that my inclusion is a positive thing for the team.”
Just weeks after completing claiming five national senior swimming titles at the Irish Open Championships, McSharry’s focus switches to the FINA World Championships later this month before she heads to the Junior World Championships in August.
Her success on the European stage will undoubtedly have attracted attention from across the water.
“There will be Americans and swimmers from all over the world eyeing up the competition, just like I am.
“I was speaking to European swimmers doing the same and I think it’s a case that everyone is doing their homework. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Cian Roche is a freelance journalist following all things swimming in Ireland.