Mona McSharry Set For Abu Dhabi As Swim Ireland Announces Teams For World And European SC

Mona McSharry: Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Swim Ireland have announced their teams for the LEN European Short-Course Championships and the 2021 FINA World Championships (25m) to be held in Kazan and Abu Dhabi respectively in November and December.

Eoin Corby, Grace Hodgins – who will make her national team debut – and Molly Mayne comprise a small three-man team for the European showcase being held in the Russian city from 2-7 November.

Twelve swimmers will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the global event from 16-21 December, among them Mona McSharry, who was eighth in the 100m breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics.

McSharry, who was voted the SEC Female Swimmer of the Week earlier in October, qualified for both events but is focusing on the worlds because of academic commitments at the University of Tennessee.

Shane Ryan: Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL

The Irish team for the World Championships will also feature Olympians Daniel Wiffen, Shane Ryan and Danielle Hill.

Brendan Hyland, Finn McGeever, Jack McMillan, and Ellen Walshe will also compete, with Darragh Greene the only Tokyo 2020 swimmer not travelling, as he only recently returned to the training pool after an extended post-Olympics break.

Relays will once again be a strong focus for the Irish contingent with some athletes selected to the team specifically for this purpose.

The team will be led by Team Leader Jon Rudd and Head Coach Ben Higson, with Michael McCarthy also selected as a team coach.

The Irish team in Kazan will be led by Head Coach John Szaranek, who will be assisted by Trojan Swimming Club coach Jonathan Preston.

National Performance Director Rudd said:

“After what was our most successful Olympic Games in at least 25 years, we are delighted to be able to return to some high-quality international racing, something that eluded us during 2020 and 2021 as we approached Tokyo.

“There’s very much an eye on the future with some of these athletes and they all met what we felt was a stringent and robust selection policy to make these teams.

“Some athletes have been unable to take up their places, particularly for Kazan, as November is not an easy period for those in full-time education, but for those who can take the opportunity, we will look forward to some fast and exciting short course racing across the two meets.”

The athletes returning from Kazan will also race in the 2021 Irish National Short-Course Championships, which take place at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin from 16-18 December.

2021 FINA World Championships (25m), Abu Dhabi, UAE
Name		Home Programme	Home Programme Coach
Calum	Bain	University of Stirling, Scotland	Bradley Hay
Niamh	Coyne	National Centre (Dublin)	Ben Higson
Danielle	Hill	Larne Swimming Club	Peter Hill
Brendan	Hyland	National Centre (Dublin)	Ben Higson
Finn	McGeever	National Centre (Limerick)	John Szaranek
Jack	McMillan	National Centre (Ulster)	Davy Johnston
Mona	McSharry	University of Tennessee, USA	Matt Kredich
Robert	Powell	National Centre (Dublin)	Ben Higson
Shane	Ryan	National Centre (Dublin)	Ben Higson
Jordan	Sloan	National Centre (Ulster)	Davy Johnston
Ellen	Walshe	University of Tennessee, USA	Matt Kredich
Daniel	Wiffen	Loughborough University, England	Andi Manley
2021 LEN European Championships (25m), Kazan, Russia
Name		Home Programme	Home Programme Coach
Eoin	Corby	National Centre (Limerick)	John Szaranek
Grace	Hodgins	Trojan Swimming Club (Dublin)	Jonathan Preston
Molly	Mayne	Hamilton Aquatics, UAE	Ash Morris

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