Ireland’s Mona McSharry and Evan Bailey starred on day two of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore; McSharry with her fastest time of the year in the 100m Breaststroke to win her heat and secure the top seed for Monday afternoon’s semi-finals, while Bailey equalled the 200m Freestyle Irish Record to progress to the semi-final on his World Championships (LC) debut.
McSharry, Olympic bronze medallist in the 100m Breaststroke, clocked 1:05.99, for only her sixth time to break sixty-six seconds in the event, three of those being from the Paris Games and twice at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The Sligo native was the only swimmer under that mark with Germany’s Anna Elendt next in 1:06.01.
Speaking after the race McSharry said, “I’m definitely feeling good. You know, honestly, that race kind of hurt and I think, talking to Ellen (Walshe) a little bit yesterday, it’s kind of just getting the first one out of the way. And just trying to push through that, and there was a second, I was like, I don’t know if I’m going to be in the semi. I was like, no, you just got to go. And I’m excited to see that, another close finish, but again on my side. So just making sure that I’m pushing to the end and, hopefully, we can get ourselves into the final now tonight.”
On racing for the first time internationally since the Games McSharry added, “I definitely was more nervous than I thought I was going to be. I think building up to it, I was fine, kind of even yesterday, didn’t really feel like I was racing, which is fine, very relaxed, and then this morning kind of just hit my stomach like butterflies, but you know, just kind of channelling that and trying to enjoy it because a bit of breathing will calm down, but you’re not going to get rid of it fully and not letting it take over.”
On coming into the Championships as an Olympic medallist she said, “I think the hardest part coming in with that kind of background is just trying not to put myself into a place where I feel like I have to be on the podium, I have to be medalling, because I have experienced that before. I put that pressure on myself before and it doesn’t help. It’s a completely different field of people, different people were racing, [there] might be some of the same people, but they have another year under their belts. So it’s just kind of you wipe the slate every time and you just race what’s in the pool.”
Evan Bailey had the swim of his life on his on his World Championships debut. The National Centre Limerick swimmer equalled Jack McMillan’s 200m Freestyle Irish Record form the Tokyo Games in 1:46.66. It was Bailey’s first time under 1:47, having come into the meet with a best time of 1:47.04 from the Irish Open in April. The New Ross man finished seventh in his heat and progresses fifteenth overall to this afternoon’s semi-final.
Speaking after the race Bailey said, “I’m absolutely delighted. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season and my training’s been going really well, and I’ve just been waiting for that one swim to happen, I’m absolutely delighted with it, and it was there. I can’t thank the people around me or my teammates any more, they’ve done probably more of the work than I have to help get me here. The training group right now we have is unbelievable and just all the boys push each other. Even at U23’s just seeing Eoin (Corby) and Jack (Cassin) at the finals there doing so well and then John Shortt at European Juniors and I just wanted to say oh, here it’s my turn to show what I can do now. I’m absolutely over the moon with that.”
It will be a busy night of racing in Singapore this afternoon, with McSharry first up at 12.29 in the 100m Breaststroke Semi-Final. Bailey takes to the blocks for the 200m Freestyle Semi-Final at 13.08 followed directly by Ellen Walshe in the 200m Individual Medley Final at 13.20.
Also, in action this morning, Danielle Hill opened her Championships in the 100m Backstroke touching in 1:00.79 for a World top twenty place, the Larne swimmer finishing eighteenth overall, just outside the semi-final places. Hill returns to the pool on Wednesday for the 50m Backstroke Heats.
In the Men’s 100m Backstroke John Shortt touched in 54.26, his fourth fastest time ever.
Two-time Olympian and 400m Individual Medley Paris Finalist Ellen Walshe has finished in eighth place in the 200m Individual Medley Final, the Templeogue swimmers first World Championship Final in the 50m pool.
Having set an Irish Record of 2:10.49 in Sunday’s Semi-Final, Walshe maintained her ranking of eighth touching home in 2:11.57. Gold went to Canada’s Summer McIntosh, her second in as many days.
Commenting after the race Walshe said, “I think to be in my first world final tonight, it’s a huge experience, out against some massive names in a 200IM. A little bit disappointed, but sure, roll on to the next one.”
Looking ahead to the 200m Butterfly heats on Wednesday, an event back on Walshe’s roster since earlier this year, she added, “I don’t really know where it’s going to be. I’ve never raced it internationally at this level, so I’m excited to kind of see where I can get, if it’s a semifinal or I’m not even sure, I’m looking forward to it.’
In the 100m Breaststroke Semi-Final, Mona McSharry, who was the top seed in 1:05.99, clocked 1:06.33 for sixth and ranked eleventh overall, outside the Final places by just .16 of a second.
Speaking after the race McSharry said, “It didn’t feel too bad honestly. I probably felt a little bit better until the last 25 again, and then, it hurt like this morning, but it’s very hard to tell where you’re at in the race for breaststroke, so I was just trying to get my hands on the wall, but sadly it’s just not meant to be.
“That’s just the way it goes sometimes, everyone’s kind of feeling it out in the heats and I had a very good heat swim, very happy with that, and it is important to be able to kind of produce that in the morning, so that’s a great takeaway. I just didn’t replicate it tonight.”
With the 50m and 200m Breaststroke still to come for McSharry she commented, “I just have two days now to kind of just reset my mind and get back on the train and kind of go through the process again and see what I can do.”
The Paris Olympian will be back on the blocks on Thursday in the 200m Breaststroke.
In the 200m Freestyle Semi-Final, Evan Bailey, making his first appearance in a World Semi-Final, was sixteenth overall in 1:48.75, outside of the 1:46.66 Irish Record he had matched in the heats.
Speaking after the race Bailey said, “It was amazing to walk out there. I mean, the atmosphere and just everyone in the crowd, screaming, I walked out, it was surreal. It was a great to experience it and to get that experience on the world stage, I’m really grateful to have been in that semi-final. But, my race plan didn’t go to plan, I’m a bit disappointed with that. I’ll have to go back and reassess with my coach on what went wrong there, but then there’s always positives to come back on, to get an experience on that level. It’ll just be good to build on in the future.”
On Tuesday, Daniel Wiffen will start the defence of his 800m Freestyle World Title in the preliminary round. Wiffen will need to secure a top eight finish to progress to Wednesday’s Final. National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin will make his World Championships (LC) debut in the 200m Butterfly. The 21-year-old will be looking to better his best time of 1:57.34 from last months European U23 Championships and secure a place in the semi-final.
Schedule – Day 2 Heats/Finals Results Monday 28th July
| Women 100m Backstroke | Danielle Hill | 1:00.79 (18th) | |
| Men 100m Backstroke | John Shortt | 54.26 (26th) | |
| Women 100m Breaststroke | Mona McSharry | 1:05.99 (1st) | SF 1:06.33 (11th) |
| Men 200m Freestyle | Evan Bailey | 1:46.66 (15th) | SF 1:48.75 (16th) |
| Women 200m IM Final | Ellen Walshe | SF 2:10.49 (8th) | F 2:11.57 (8th) |
