Mona McSharry sets new Irish Senior record and wins Young Sportsperson of the Year
MONA McSharry was again making national headlines when she was named Young Sportsperson of the Year at the RTÉ Sports Awards on Saturday.
To cap off a brilliant year for the Grange World Champion swimmer, she was also competing at the European championships in Copenhagen and the 17-yearold set a new Irish record in the 100m breaststroke final.
The 5th year student was 0.2seconds off a medal and this goes to show what a serious contender she is for Tokyo 2020.
She swam a new Irish record of 1:05:01 and broke her own record of 1:05:27.
An outstanding performance from the 17-year-old saw her just two tenths of a second away from the bronze medal in an Irish record time of 1:05.01.
A delighted McSharry said: “It was unbelievable, even to walk out there and the crowd was going crazy and that whole atmosphere, that’s why I do this, because I want to be in those finals and I want to be doing as good as I can. I got a pb (personal best) and a new Irish Senior Record so it’s unbelievable really.”
The Marlins Club swimmer took the jump from junior to senior international competition in her stride as she secured her place in her first Senior International Final at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Denmark.
The European and World Junior Champion in the 100m Breaststroke was up against Europe’s best in the semi-finals where she posted a time of 1:05.40.
A delighted McSharry spoke after the semi-finals: “Amazing, it’s unreal, to be able to come from juniors into seniors and into a final, top 8 in Europe, that’s a dream really.
“To walk up the ramp and everyone was screaming and shouting and all the tiers filled with people, it’s a great feeling,” she added.
After the event, Swim Ireland National Performance Director Jon Rudd has been
I want to be in these finals and I want to be doing as good as I can. I got a new Irish Senior Record so it’s unbelievable
encouraged by the performances both at home and in Copenhagen.
He said: “This has been a fantastic week for Irish swimming; when you consider that we have broken 13 Irish records here in Copenhagen while another 16 records were broken back at home at our National Short Course Championships, you have to feel that we’re on the move as a collective.”
He continued “We’re certainly not where we want to be yet and there is much work still to be done, but Jordan Sloan and Mona McSharry in particular have shown what Irish athletes can achieve among world class opposition this last few days.
“We’re in a good place with our National Team, our National Squad and our National Centres and we’re about to launch what we believe is a very exciting coach development programme through and into Tokyo 2020. Irish swimming is on the move and we’re all enjoying the ride.”
As Mona was preparing to swim in the 200m Breastsroke on Sunday, she was revealed as the Young Sportsperson of the Year at the gala awards ceremony in Dublin. Mona and two others, athlete Gina Akpe-Moses and Kerry footballer David Clifford were also nominees.
Mona was chosen by the RTÉ Sport department executives and announced live on the night of the awards. 201 has been a truly remarkable year for the Grange swimmer and 2018 should be another fantastic one.