Lady Vol swimmer Mona McSharry wins Ireland’s first medal at 2024 Olympics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Ireland has their first medal at the Paris Olympics thanks to a heroic performance by Tennessee Lady Vol Mona McSharry on Monday.

In a 100m breaststroke final that saw the top five swimmers separated by 0.32 seconds, McSharry beat out Olympic Champion Lilly King of the United States and World Champion Benedetta Pilato of Italy by 0.01 seconds to win the bronze medal.

It was Ireland’s first-ever medal in a breaststroke event at the Summer Games. She is just the second Irish swimmer to ever win a medal after Michelle Smith won four, including three gold medals, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Two Tennessee Vols have earned medals in Paris so far. Erika Connolly helped the U.S. 4×100 free relay team win the silver medal, the Olympic medal of her career. UT now has 17 Olympic medals all-time between its men’s and women’s programs.

It’s McSharry’s first medal in her second Olympic games. She became the second Irish swimmer to compete in an Olympic final at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She earned 23 All-America certificates at Tennessee and holds four Lady Vol program records, including the 100m and 200m breaststroke.

McSharry will also compete in the 200m breaststroke event beginning on Friday, Aug. 2 as well as the 4×100 medley relay on Saturday, Aug. 3.

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