Mona McSharry moves into 50m breaststroke semi-finals at World Championships

On she goes: Mona McSharry's journey at the World Aquatics Championships continues after advancing to the 50m breaststroke semi-finals.

McSharry, who finished fifth in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke finals in Doha, was second in her heat on Saturday morning.

“One length, just splash and dash,” was how McSharry described this event after her fifth-place finish in Friday's 200m final – which was one of the fastest 200m breaststroke races of all time.

McSharry, who cut her teeth at the Marlins Swimming Club in Ballyshannon, touched the wall of the Aspire Dome in 30.72 seconds, 0.83 seconds off the swift Benedetta Pilato, who goes into the semi-finals as the fastest qualifier in 29.89 seconds.

McSharry was just 0.43 seconds off the 30.29 Irish record clocked at the 2023 Irish Open Championships.

McSharry had been aiming for an Olympic qualifying time in the 200m, but the 2:23.91 eluded her.

In Friday's final, McSharry finished in 2:24.89 with the 2:19.81 set by the impressive victor, Tes Schouten seeing the Dutchwoman go eighth in the all-time list.

At the end of March, McSharry will go again at the Ramsey Centre at University of Georgia in the NCAA Championships. The Grange woman will graduate in kinesiology from University of Tennessee before turning her mind to Paris and the Olympic Games.

McSharry has already booked a place on the 100m breaststroke list. At the last Olympiad in Tokyo, she was fifth in her favoured event.