Sligo’s Mona McSharry stormed into the 50 metres breaststroke final at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi on Thursday by setting a new Irish record for the event.
She finished second in her heat in a new PB time of 29.65 seconds to qualify third fastest overall for Friday’s final.
Defending champion and world record holder Alia Atkinson from Jamaica was disqualified from McSharry’s semi-final on Thursday.
Mona’s home coach Grace Meade spoke to Ocean FM Sport following her semi-final swim on Thursday:
This is the first of four individual events McSharry is competing in this week.
She will also contest the women’s 100m and 200m breaststroke as well as the 100m individual medley.
McSharry’s University of Tennessee team-mate, Ellen Walsh, won a silver medal for Ireland on Thursday afternoon in the 400 metres individual medley.
Walsh finished second behind Canada’s Tess Cieplucha in 4:26.52.
