Mona McSharry is bound for the Paris Olympics.
The Sligo swimmer who trains in Donegal with the Marlins Swimming Club in Ballyshannon posted a landmark Irish record in the 100m breaststroke at the World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.
McSharry dipped under the 1.06 mark for the first time, winning her heat in a time of 1.05.55.
She was the second fastest across all the heats and progresses to the semi-final, which will take place on Monday afternoon. Only Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte managed a faster time than McSharry in the heats.
McSharry, now 22, reached the final of the 100m breaststroke at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and has now, as expected, guaranteed her spot in Paris.
The World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka is the first of three opportunities for Irish swimmers to secure individual Olympic places, the second being the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar in February 2024, and the third being the Irish Open Swimming Championships in May 2024.
