Mona McSharry Wins Ireland’s First Medal at Paris Olympics

Mona McSharry secured Ireland’s first medal of the Paris Olympics by clinching bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke. The 23-year-old swimmer finished third in a fiercely contested final. South Africa’s Tatjana Smith won gold while China’s Tang Qianting took silver. Initially, McSharry from Sligo was visibly stunned as she checked the results, her quiet confidence turning into euphoric disbelief.

Following the race, she expressed her amazement and pride to BBC Sport NI. She noted that her achievement marked Ireland’s first swimming medal since the 1996 Atlanta Games. “It’s amazing to be part of such a competitive race and to see the Irish flag raised,” she said, overwhelmed by the experience. Moreover, standing on the podium,  McSharry continued to show signs of disbelief, surrounded by Irish flags in the Parisian arena.

After her moment on the podium, she celebrated by joining a group of Irish flags and reflecting on her historic achievement. “Winning an Olympic medal is beyond anything I could have imagined,” she said, acknowledging the reality of her dreams coming true. In addition, in the tightly contested final, McSharry finished just 0.31 seconds behind Smith.

She narrowly edged out Italian Benedetta Pilato, who came fourth by just 0.01 seconds. This was Mona McSharry’s second Olympic appearance. After reaching the final in Tokyo three years ago, she had set her sights on winning a medal. Reflecting on her journey, McSharry commented on how proud she felt of her accomplishment. Notably, she had qualified for the final as the second fastest swimmer and was only marginally slower in the final.

Consequently, the atmosphere in the La Defense Arena was electric with substantial support from the Irish contingent. Looking ahead, World champion Daniel Wiffen, from Northern Ireland is a strong contender for gold in the men’s 800m freestyle final. Meanwhile, Ellen Walshe also reached her first Olympic final earlier on Monday.