Mona McSharry ready to take on the world in Doha

Mona McSharry dives into the water of the Aspire Dome in Doha in the early hours of Monday to kick start her World Championships bid.

McSharry is entered in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events and begins her week in Qatar with her favoured 100m.

Marlins Swimming Club, Ballyshannon graduate McSharry is a real medal prospect in Doha, currently ranked second behind Ruta Meilutyte, the Lithuanian who won two World golds last year having been the Olympic gold medalist in 2012.

A finalist last year and finishing fifth in Fukuoka, Japan - where she swam a 1:06.07 final after setting a new Irish record of 1:05.55 in her heat - McSharry was just 0.13 seconds off a medal.

In Japan, Grange native McSharry had four Olympic gold medalists in front of her - Meilutyte, Tatjana Schoenmaker, Lydia Jacoby and Lilly King - in the final.

Her 1:05.55 heat not only booked her spot in a semi-final, but it also punched her tickets for the Olympic Games in Paris later the year. At the last edition of the Olympics, McSharry was in the final of the 100m breaststroke,

"This is going to be my last opportunity to race heats, semis and finals the way they will be set up in Paris,” McSharry said ahead of competition in Doha.

"I thought that that was really important if nothing else, just to kind of be able to practice doing that process and making sure it's the way I want to do it at the Olympics.”

McSharry, who skipped the recent European Championships in Bucharest, was the World Short Court bronze medalist in 2021 and is in the closing chapter of her degree in kinesiology at the University of Tennessee.

A whole new world - in more ways than one - has opened up before she steps onto the diving blocks.