Mona McSharry safely into World 100m breaststroke final

Mona McSharry is into the 100m breaststroke final at the World Aquatics Championships.

McSharry was second in her semi-final, touching the wall of Doha’s Aspire Dome in 1:06.11.

Only 19-year-old Chinese swimmer Qianting Tang was head of the Marlins Swimming Club graduate.

Tang advances to Tuesday evening’s final after hitting a new personal best of 1:05.36.

McSharry, operating out of lane 5, was fourth at the midway point, but applied the pressure and goes now to the final as a genuine medal contender.

With Dutch swimmer Tes Schouten, in 1:06.30, winning the first semi-final, the 23-year-old McSharry is the second fastest of the qualifiers for the final.

On Monday morning, McSharry eased through her heat, finishing in 1:06.49. She was second in her heat and the third fastest qualifier overall.

The Marlin’s Swimming Club, Ballyshannon graduate, who has already qualified for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, was behind 19-year-old Chinese swimmer Qianting Tang, who won the heat in 1:06.16.

“I’m happy, February is a weird time to be getting up and doing a World champs swim,” McSharry said. “I think it’s exciting to try and progress through the rounds and be as good as I can at this time of the year and then just build on that for the summer.”

Ruta Meilutyte, the Lithuanian who won two World golds last year, did not advance from the heats.

Last year, McSharry was only 0.13 seconds off a medal at the 2023 edition in  Fukuoka, Japan - where she swam a 1:06.07 final after setting a new Irish record of 1:05.55 in her heat.

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,

McSharry will also compete in the 50m and 200m breaststroke events this week in Doha.