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Mona McSharry claimed her second career World Cup gold with victory in the 100m breaststroke final in Baku, while Ellen Walshe finished fifth in the 400m individual medley.
Mona McSharry has won her first gold medal of the 2026 World Aquatics World Cup series, taking victory in the 100m breaststroke final in Baku, Azerbaijan on Friday.
The Sligo swimmer had topped the rankings in the morning heats in 1:04.94 before going even quicker in the final, clocking 1:04.21. That time made her the only swimmer to break 65 seconds in the race and delivered just the second World Cup gold medal of her career. Her previous World Cup title came in the 50m breaststroke at the Westmont stop of the 2025 series.
Baku Victories Lift Irish Medal Charge
The win adds to the silver medal McSharry claimed in the 200m breaststroke on Thursday, continuing an impressive opening to her World Cup campaign. South Africa's Aimee Canny took silver in 1:05.21, while Russia's Evgeniia Chikunova, who won Thursday's 200m breaststroke, claimed bronze in 1:05.64. McSharry and Ellen Walshe will compete in three World Cup events across October, starting in Baku from October 1 to 3.
The series then moves to Tashkent, Uzbekistan from October 8 to 10 before concluding in Astana, Kazakhstan from October 15 to 17. Following her silver medal in the 200m butterfly on Thursday, Walshe returned to action in the 400m individual medley. The Templeogue swimmer narrowly missed out on a second medal of the meet, finishing fifth in 4:29.13. China's Yiting Yu claimed gold in 4:24.09, with Britain's Abbie Wood taking silver in 4:27.95.
The battle for bronze went down to the final touch, with China's Mohan Chang securing third place in 4:28.76. That was just one-hundredth of a second ahead of Japan's Waka Kobori, who finished in 4:28.77, with Walshe close behind in fifth. Walshe's fifth-place finish shows her competitiveness in a strong field, and she remains a key medal contender for Ireland in the remaining events.
Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe Return Saturday
The Irish duo will return to the pool on Saturday, with McSharry competing in the 50m breaststroke and Walshe lining up in the 200m individual medley. Both swimmers will aim to add to their medal tallies from the meet. McSharry's success in the 100m breaststroke sets her up well for the shorter distance, where she has previously won World Cup gold. Walshe will look to bounce back in the 200m individual medley after her near-miss in the 400m event.
The World Cup series continues to provide a platform for top swimmers to showcase their talent. The performances in Baku are part of the build-up to major international competitions later in the year.
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IrishTimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Mona Mcsharry World Aquatics World Cup Baku Ellen Walshe 100M Breaststroke Yiting Yu Abbie Wood Baku 2026
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