Mona McSharry finally brings it home and has a medal to show for it

In 2017, the RTÉ Young Sports person of the Year was awarded to a swimmer from Co Sligo, Mona McSharry.

The then 17-year-old claimed gold at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Indianapolis. Darragh Maloney travelled to Copenhagen, from where she was competing at the time, to present her with the award.

And while McSharry no doubt cherished that recognition at the time, her sights were set on even bigger things in the pool.

The Marlins Swim Club in Ballyshannon, where her talent was nurtured will now be toasting McSharry's success in claiming bronze at the Paris Olympics, in what was another high-octane night of joy, exhilaration and much emotion at the La Defence Arena.

It was in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, under the tutelage of Grace Meade, that the up-and-coming prospect started to realise her potential – a rising graph that saw junior success at European and World level.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport in 2021, on the eve of McSharry's appearance in the Tokyo final, Meade, who started coaching the Grange native at the age of ten, said the target was Paris three years on.

Meet Mona McSharry - Ireland's bronze medal swimmer

"She's done great through the juniors. We knew this was coming but we had a plan that 2024 would be our Olympics. I spoke to her this morning and said there's nothing like doing it three years early."

McSharry finished eight in the Japanese capital, a commendable effort against high-quality opposition; she seemed content. And was ready to resume her college career in the University of Tennessee.

But successful athletes don't always want that sense of contentment. At the 2022 Europeans, McSharry finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final. She felt she didn't reach her potential, expectations not met. She