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 ‘Yeah, 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, you know, 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, you know, 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 me stomach of like butterflies, but you know, just kind of channelling that and like trying to enjoy it because, you know, 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 ‘You know, 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, you know, might be some of the same people, but they have another year under their belts. So, you know, 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 yeah, 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 anymore, they’ve done probably more of the work than I have to help get me here, but yeah, the training group right now we have is unbelievable and just all the boys push each other. Even at U23’s just seeing like 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.
Speaking after the race Hill said ‘I mean I am a little bit disappointed, but, you know, I could have also been top 16 and still been disappointed at that time, so I think I’m actually really happy and privileged to just be behind the block today. ?Six weeks ago, I was speaking with the surgeon about shoulder surgery and, you know, my team and Robbie (Physiotherapist) here with us, have done everything to put me behind the block. And, you know, I’m happy with that execution, considering I’ve only been doing backstroke for two weeks now. So, yeah, listen, I have three more events to go. I’ve got to pick myself up, as I’ve done many a time, and I’’ll move forward through the week.’
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.
Shortt commented after the race ‘Yeah, not too bad. A good start to what’s going to be a good week, hopefully. That’s a really good sign because, you know, that’s good to do in a morning swim, and yeah, probably not as fast I would have liked, but it’s a good way to start the week and we’ll build momentum now going into the 200 (Backstroke).’
Shortt, who was crowned European Junior Champion in the 100m Backstroke and won 200m Backstroke Bronze earlier this month looked ahead to his main event, the 200m Backstroke on Thursday ‘That 54.2 that I swam there was what I did at trials in the morning, so, you know, there shows that I’m in a good spot physically, so I’ll just go into the 200m and see what I can do.’