IRELAND’S MONA MCSHARRY has fallen short in her quest for a medal, after finishing fifth in the final of the women’s 100m breaststroke at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha. 

Swimming in lane five, the 23-year-old finished in the same position as she did in last year’s final, swam a time of 1:06.42 to touch the wall behind winner Qianting Tang of China who clocked 1:05.27.

Tes Schouten of the Netherlands took silver in 1:05.82 while the bronze medal went to Hong Kong’s Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, who is the grand-niece of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey.

“I’m gutted,” she said after the race where she was 0.5 seconds out from winning a medal.

“I just felt like it was there within my reach and I just didn’t have it today. It’s really tough to deal but just, back to the drawing board and keep working, I guess.

“The most important thing is not coming away from this distraught or disheartened and try to use it to my advantage or feeling like I’m not capable. That’s probably going to be the hardest part.

The Sligo native progressed to the final with the second-fastest time of 1:06.11 yesterday, which was just outside her Irish Record of 1:05.55.

McSharry has already qualified for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

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