Irish Swimmers Walshe and McSharry Advance Despite Mid-Race Lapses

Irish swimmers Ellen Walshe and Mona McSharry faced demanding heats at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, requiring mid-race adjustments to secure their places in the semi-finals. Walshe, the new European champion in the 400m individual medley, admitted she had to "cop on" during her 50m butterfly heat, finishing third to qualify ninth overall.

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I think I wasn’t really fully committed to the whole thing but I kind of just copped on in that second 100, and I was like, ‘woops’.

McSharry, who has already won silver and bronze medals, had a messy opening 25 meters in her 50m breaststroke heat. She reminded herself to "put the head down" and qualified fourth fastest. Both athletes acknowledged the difficulty of refocusing after previous medal wins and managing a demanding schedule.

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Listen, it’s a strong field out there so it will be tough to get back in the top eight tonight.

Walshe is set to compete in two finals on Saturday evening: the 200m individual medley and the 50m butterfly semi-final. McSharry will also be in action in the 50m breaststroke semi-final, aiming for a third medal at the championships. Daniel Wiffen will race for a medal in the 1500m freestyle final, while Tom Fannon qualified for the 50m freestyle semi-finals.

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Yeah, it’s definitely hard to refocus since Wednesday and try to get yourself back on track, but I guess that’s what we’ve trained for.