McSharry Through to Another World Final; Shortt Breaks Irish Backstroke Record
Mona McSharry is through to another World Final and John Shortt has set a new Irish Record on the fifth night of racing at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
McSharry, who was fifth in the 100m Breaststroke Final on Tuesday, secured a place in tomorrow afternoon’s 200m Breaststroke Final following a third-place finish in her heat in 2:25.13, just off the 2:24.82 she swam in this morning’s heats. The 23-year-old will go onto the Final ranked in seventh place.
Speaking after the race McSharry said ‘I’m excited, that was a little bit slower than this morning but one of my fastest races and based on how I feel getting out of it, I feel that I put it well together and the last 50m felt pretty strong. So, tomorrow is just about having big guts and pushing to go out a little bit stronger in the first 100m’.
17-year-old John Shortt had the swim of his life in the 200m Backstroke Semi-Final, setting a new Irish Record of 1:58.47. Shortt, from Roscam in Galway, broke his own record of 1:58.63 which he set at the European Junior Championships in 2023. The National Centre Limerick swimmer placed fourteenth overall, in only his second senior international meet.
The 200m Breaststroke Final will take place on Friday at 4.49pm (IRL).
A delighted Shortt said ‘I was a bit disappointed with that swim this morning, because I’ve been training much better than that swim showed, I think that swim tonight properly showed what I can do and I’m just another inch closer to that Olympic time and I’ll have another crack at it in Dublin’
On making his debut in a World Championships Semi-Final Shortt said ‘It was a moment that I think I’ll hold in my heart forever, it was amazing, especially to see my family out there who have been amazing these past few months, I’ve moved to Limerick full time so they’ve all been unbelievable and it was so nice to show them a good swim out there tonight’.
Tomorrow will see debut swims at these Championships from Max McCusker in the 100m Butterfly and Tom Fannon in the 50m Freestyle, while Maria Godden returns for the 200m Backstroke. Olympic qualification is available across all three events.
Daily reports will issue from Doha.
Results Day 5 Heats
Women 100m Freestyle Victoria Catterson 55.44 (19th)
Men 200m Backstroke John Shortt 1:59.27 (16th) SF 1:58.47 ISR (14th)
Women 200m Breaststroke Mona McSharry 2:24.82 (2nd) SF 2:25.13 (7th)
Men 200m Breaststroke Eoin Corby 2:13.10 (17th)
Schedule – Day 6 Heats
Men 100m Butterfly Max McCusker
Women 200m Backstroke Maria Godden
Men 50m Freestyle Tom Fannon
Women 200m Breaststroke Final Mona McSharry
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