Ireland team reach relay final on last night in Paris; McSharry, Walshe and Fannon out for individual honours
The Irish Times · Michael Scully · 2026-08-16T21:46:29+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Mona McSharry will have two more chances to add to her two-medal haul at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris after helping Ireland’s women’s 4x100m medley relay team qualify for Sunday evening’s final.
McSharry has already won silver and bronze at the meet and will contest the 50m breaststroke final before going in the relay final less than 90 minutes later.
There will be Irish interest in four finals on the last night of the championships, with Tom Fannon swimming in the men’s 50m freestyle before double European champion Ellen Walshe returns for the women’s 200m butterfly.
Walshe will also sub in to the women’s relay team, swapping in for Ellie McCartney on the butterfly leg. McSharry swam the two breaststroke lengths in Sunday morning’s heat in 1:04.75, helping Ireland to an overall seventh in 4:00.95.
“I was happy with that,” said McSharry. “I kind of came thinking I can do 1:04 with a good takeover.
“It felt a bit funny again to be back up to 100,” she added of the increased distance, having won silver in the 100m breaststroke on Wednesday. “It feels like so long ago that we did the 100 earlier this week. But I was really happy with that and hopefully I can do that or faster tonight.”
Lottie Cullen led Ireland off with the backstroke leg in 1:01.25. Danielle Hill, who reached the 50m backstroke final earlier in the week, stepped aside to allow her team-mate to take her place.
“I’m super-excited,” said Cullen, who narrowly missed out on the 100m backstroke final on Friday. “I really wanted to put in a good swim this morning to help us get back.
“I’m really grateful for Danielle, and I wanted to do it for her as well. Sharing a room with her, we’ve been having good chats, and when she told me that she gave me the spot, I was over the moon.”
McCartney swam the butterfly leg in 1:01.83 before Grace Davison brought the team home with the freestyle in 54.12.
“I’m just happy to do it for the team and for all of us to be almost under our PB (personal bests), it’s great,” said McCartney. “I just love getting out there and racing, and I knew Mona had given me a good lead and I just tried to maintain that and bring it home for the team.”
Davison added: “I’m buzzing with that. I think it’s almost hard, jumping in last, because it feels like it’s on you at the end.
“But to have such a great set-up from the girls was incredible. And just diving in in a heat with the French swimmers, the crowd is insane. It’s just feeding off that and really going for it. I’m proud of everyone.”
There was also an Irish record for the men’s 4x100m medley team of John Shortt, Jack Kelly, Jack Cassin and Evan Bailey, who finished 10th overall in 3:33.74.
Shortt swam the opening backstroke leg in 53.97 and welcomed the chance to race again after a disappointing performance in the men’s 50m backstroke, failing to get out of Thursday’s heats.
“I was pretty upset with myself yesterday, I’ve just been really annoyed,” said Shortt. “But at the end of the day these things happen and I just wanted to do my best for the boys here.
“Not a perfect swim, there will be plenty to work on, but now I think we’re all just focused on getting out of here!”
On their record-breaking approach, Cassin said: “The goal going into it was to grab that Irish senior record and if it wasn’t for those takeovers, we wouldn’t have got it.
“I definitely had a much slower takeover on my first relay so I said I’d definitely risk it and see what I got out of it.”
And in the men’s 400m freestyle heats, there was no progression for the three Irish swimmers; Nathan Wiffen, Denis O’Brien and Cormac Rynn all outside the qualifying spots. After his exertions in the men’s 1,500m final on Saturday evening, Daniel Wiffen opted out of the 400.
Irish in action – Sunday evening session
Men’s 50m freestyle final: Tom Fannon (5.30pm)
Women’s 50m breaststroke final: Mona McSharry (5.36pm)
Women’s 200m butterfly final: Ellen Walshe (5.47pm)
Women’s 4x100m medley relay final (7.02pm)