Mona McSharry Clocks 100 Breast Irish Record To Book Tokyo Ticket

2021 IRISH NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS

• Tuesday, April 20th – Saturday, April 24th
• Prelims at 10:00 am local; Finals at 5:30 pm local
• Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre, Dublin
• Swim Ireland Olympic Selection Policy
• One-shot Olympic qualifying meet
• Meet Package
• Schedule of Events
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Psych Sheets

In addition to Daniel Wiffen and Darragh Greene producing new Irish national marks in the men’s 800m free and 100m breast, respectively, Mona McSharry made her mark of her own on these Irish National Team Trials through just day 1’s prelims.

Topping the women’s 100m breaststroke heats this morning, McSharry fired off the fastest time of her career, getting to the wall in 1:06.97 to land lane 4 for tonight’s final.

Opening in 31.22 and closing in 35.75, 20-year-old McSharry shaved .13 off of her own lifetime best and previous Irish national record of 1:07.10. As such, she now becomes Ireland’s first-ever female to get under the 1:07 threshold in the event.

Additionally, the Tennesee Vol’s swim now adds her name to the Irish consideration roster for the postponed Olympic Games, as McSharry dipped under the FINA ‘A’ cut of 1:07.07 needed for this women’s 1breast race. McSharry now ranks just outside the top 15 performers in the world this season.

Of her impressive outing this morning, McSharry stated post-race, ‘It’s still sinking in, but I am excited to go and jump around my apartment for a little while. Just, talk to my family and be happy about it – soak it all in and make sure that I am actually enjoying the moment. Sometimes you can forget to live in it for a minute, so I am definitely going to work on that today, because I have been striving for this for so long.

 I was trying not to think about it this morning, which I’ve been doing the last three weeks. Just trying not to build it up so much in my head – it’s just another 100m Breaststroke and I’m just going to swim it. I had a set plan this morning and I have a very organised way that I do stuff to make sure I don’t have time to sit and worry about my race.

 The first 50 felt really good. I could see Niamh (Coyne) beside me, so that was definitely pushing me on. When I turned, I could still see her there and I knew I would have to pick it up and really go for it. It definitely burned in the last 10m. At that point you just have to push through. I did have that wonder, does this burn and I’m not going fast enough, or is it because I’m pushing to new levels. It’s very hard to distinguish sometimes. You just have to push to the wall and see what the time is. I knew I was going to do it, and I knew I could do it, but it was still really nice to turn around and be surprised to see it on the board.’

Quotes courtesy of Swim Ireland.