Mona McSharry through to European Championships breaststroke final

Ireland’s Mona McSharry is through to Saturday’s 100m breaststroke final at the European Swimming Championships in Rome.

McSharry entered the semi-finals as the fifth seed with a time of 1:07.11, but the 21-year-old moved up the rankings after finishing second in 1:06.44, just behind world champion Benedatta Pilato of Italy (in 1:06.16). She progresses in third overall behind Pilato and 2012 Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania (in 1:06.44).

McSharry, who finished seventh in this final in the 2021 edition of the championships in Budapest, is the Irish record holder in 1:06.29, which she swam at the 2021 Olympic trials in Dublin.

Niamh Coyne was also in action in the 100m breaststroke semi-finals, where the 21-year-old improved on this morning’s heat swim, touching in 1:08.00 for sixth in the semi-final and 11th overall.

Darragh Ó Sé: Changing grades hasn’t worked out - the GAA needs to go back to U-18 and U-21

---

Seán Moran: Hurling counts its winners as football ponders its disappearing audience

---

Gerry Thornley: Danger of mental scarring for Leinster following latest gut-wrenching final defeat

---

Grayson Murray’s sad passing casts a pall over the PGA Tour

---

[ Three more Irish crews secure their place in European Championship finals ]

On Saturday, Shane Ryan dives in for his first swim of the week in the 100m Butterfly where he is joined by Brendan Hyland and Max McCusker. Victoria Catterson swims the 200m Freestyle, an event she broke a 25-year-old Irish record in at the Commonwealth Games earlier this month.

Danielle Hill returns for the 50m Backstroke and Darragh Greene, a semi-finalist in the 100m Breaststroke, swims the 200m Breaststroke with Eoin Corby.