European Aquatics Championships: Ellen Walshe wins gold in 400m individual medley
Michael Bolton
Ellen Walshe has won gold in the women's 400 metres individual medley at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
Walshe won with a time of 4:34.42, which is a national record.
Great Britain's Amalie Smith was second, with Poland's Justina Anna Kozan securing bronze.
Speaking after winning the medal, Walshe said: “I tried to stick with what I know, on the backstroke my legs were really hurting, on the breaststroke, I thought I’m just gonna close my eyes and hope for the best. On the freestyle, it’s anyone game.”
Mona McSharry has won silver in the 100m breaststroke final.
McSharry swam faster than when she won the Olympic bronze medal in Paris in 2024, with a time of 1.05.41.
It is Ireland's first medal at the championships.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke Final. Ireland’s Mona McSharry celebrates winning a silver medal. Photo: Inpho.
The race was won by Angharad Evans, as the Sligo woman hunted her down for the majority of the race.
It was a great start by McSharry, who led after 30m, as Evans needed a championship record to hold on for victory, with a time of 1.04.76.
1:05.89 for the Italian Pilato to win bronze.
Speaking on RTÉ, McSharry said: “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. Pilato ahead of me pushed first, I know she goes out fast, I knew I had to go. It’s just a case of trusting the process and it came off.
“It’s a case of dissecting and figuring out what to do with my coach, in breaststroke that isn’t always swimming harder. It can be really hard in the heat of the moment if you let the nerves take over. Sometimes you think you need to go, but you have to just stick to your guns and it paid off.”
John Shortt has finished seventh in the final of 200m backstroke.
Shortt finished with a time of 1.55.46, having started the race strong but fading towards the end of the race.
In the men's 200m breaststroke semi-finals, Jack Kelly finished fourth, with Eoin Corby in sixth.
Kelly advanced to the final and had the lead at one point, as he finished with a time of 2:09.23, in what was a very fast semi-final.
While it is not enough for Corby, who misses out by a few tenths of a second.
Daniel Wiffen finished fourth in the Men’s 800m freestyle final, with a time of 7.43.30.
Johannes Liebmann won with a championship record time of 7:37.59.
In second was Sven Schwarz with a time of 7:41.16, while Zalan Sarkany came third in 7:41.75.
