SWIMMING: Mona and Patrick compete so well at international gigs
SLIGO swimmers Mona McSharry and Patrick Flanagan were finalists but not medallists at international events on Wednesday of last week. Although placed seventh, McSharry was just 0.37 seconds outside the medal placings in the final of the Women’s 100 metres Breaststroke at the LEN European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The Grange star swam under 67 seconds for the third time at these championships when clocking 1:06.58 in the decider. Gold went to Sweden’s Sophie Hansson, whose winning time was 1:05.69.
Seven of the eight finalists posted times of under 67 seconds to reflect the swim’s high standard.
McSharry has been in superb form in recent weeks, achieving the Olympic Consideration Time for the women’s 100 metres breaststroke on five occasions – twice at the Swim Ireland Irish National Team Trials and on three occasions in Budapest.
Her original goal was to get under the FINA ‘A’ time of
1:07.7 for her main discipline and she now has achieved this multiple times, setting a new Irish senior record of 1:06.29 in the process.
McSharry also took part in two relay events at these championships.
She helped an Irish team achieve a new Irish senior record, 3:44.37, in the Women’s 4x100 metres Freestyle Relay. They shaved almost three seconds off a record that had stood since 2009.
Her teammates for that event, which took place on Monday, May 17, were Danielle Hill, Victoria Catterson and Erin Riordan. They were fifth in their heat and 12th overall.
Last Sunday morning McSharry was selected in the quartet that swam in the Women’s 4x100 metres Medley Relay. This team posted another Irish senior record, 4:02.93. The previous record of 4:12.19 was posted in 2018.
McSharry, along with Danielle Hill, Ellen Walshe and Victoria Catterson were placed fourth in their heat and 11th overall. They marginally missed out on a place in the final eight by just under one second.
The 20-year-old’s efforts in Budapest was her first international representation since swimming for Ireland at the 2019 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Glasgow – there she secured bronze in the Women’s 50 metres Breaststroke. Meanwhile, para swimmer Patrick Flanagan, who has Rosses Point connections,
was part of Team Ireland at the World Para Swimming European Open Championships in Madeira, Portugal.
Flanagan, 23, was a finalist in his main
SWIM TALENT: Patrick Flanagan, right.
event, the Men’s 400 metres Freestyle S6. He finished eighth – there were 11 swimmers in the decider on Wednesday last – on a time of 5:42.09.
His time in the final was faster than what he clocked in his heat earlier that day – a time of 5:44.29.
He also swam in the heats of the Men’s 100 metres Backstroke S6, clocking 1:28.93, and the Men’s 100 metres Freestyle S6 heats – in the latter event he posted a new PB of 1:19.34.
Flanagan has previously competed at European and world level for Paralympics Ireland. Reflecting on his experience in Madeira,
Flanagan said: “For the year that’s in it, it is all about learning. I took a few learnings that I know I can implement.”
“We have a competition lined up for the end of June, where I will hope to put in some good performances.”