Mona McSharry Rattles 100 Breaststroke Rankings As Three Records Fall At Irish Open

Mona McSharry: Photo Courtesy: Swim Ireland

Mona McSharry Rattles 100 Breaststroke Rankings As Three Records Fall At Irish Open

Mona McSharry lowered her national 100m breaststroke record and Tom Fannon became the first Irishman inside 22secs in the 50 free on day two of the Irish Open Swimming Championships.

Jack Cassin made it three records with a time of 4:22.57 in the 400IM at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.

It brings to four the number of senior records set so far following Ellen Walshe‘s 57.96 in the 100 fly on Saturday.

Day 1 report

Tokyo Olympian McSharry took 0.25 from her previous mark of 1:06.29 en-route to a new record of 1:06.04 to secure an ‘A’ time for the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in July.

It propels her to second in the rankings eclipsed only by Tes Schouten‘s 1:05.92 from the Giant Open last month.

The final also saw consideration times met for Ellie McCartney (1:09.65) for the European Under-23 Championships, European Junior Championships and Commonwealth Youth Games, and for Ava Jones (1:11.96) and Niamh Connery (1:13.20) for the European Youth Olympic Festival.

Fannon clocked 21.95 in the first 50 of the 100 free heats to claim his first Irish senior record and sliced 0.19secs from the mark of 22.14 that had stood to Barry Murphy since the super-suited 2009 World Championships in Rome.

The 25-year-old set the time as a split in the 100m freestyle heats although he didn’t reach the final.

He will go again in the 50 free on Wednesday, and a repeat performance will see him considered for the World Championships.

Cassin set his first senior record, lowering Cadan McCarthy‘s 2021 record of 4:23.22.

John Shortt became only the second Irish swimmer to break 2mins in the 200 back with the 16-year-old going 1:59.23, enough for a consideration time for Fukuoka.

Only Conor Ferguson with his 2017 Irish record of 1:58.80 has gone quicker in domestic waters.

National Centre Limerick team-mate Maria Godden won the women’s event in a PB of 2:12.61.

Max McCusker won the 100 free and 50 fly double, going 49.78 over two lengths and the only man inside 24secs in 23.97 in the latter.

The women’s 1500m freestyle final saw an exact replica of Saturday’s 400m freestyle podium with Trojan’s Grace Hodgins winning her second national title.

Hodgins cruised to victory in 17:01.22 ahead of her team-mate Rebekah Friel (17:44.06) and National Centre Limerick’s Ella Carroll (17:57.07).

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