Paris 2024: 'Inspiring and resilient' – RTÉ panel react to McSharry bronze

The RTÉ Olympic Games swimming panel all pointed to the tenacity of Mona McSharry to come through adversity as the Sligo woman claimed a sensational bronze medal at the Paris Games.

Competing in her second Olympic final, McSharry produced a sensational finish in the final of the women's 100m breaststroke to pip Italy's Benedetta Pilato and world record holder and 2016 champion Lilly King of the United States both by 0.01 of a second to take third in a time of 1:05.59.

Speaking after the race, former Olympian Earl McCarthy said the composure shown by the Irish swimmer in such a high-quality field was hugely impressive.

"She didn’t panic," he told viewers. "I liked that first 25 metres, she’s not the leader.

"It was a very aggressive first 25 metres and you think, 'will she drop the ball here?’ but she knew what she was doing and kept her reserve for the last six or seven metres."

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Fellow analyst Andrew Bree, a two-time Olympian, said: "It’s inspiring. It’s a testament to every day, every moment of her training. It’s written in the stars."

A couple of years ago, not long after taking bronze in the World Short Course Championships, the University of Tennessee graduate revealed that she had been seriously struggling with being away from home and her family and had considered walking away from the sport.

"I remember waking up and I was really upset, crying, I didn’t know why I was crying," she said at the time.

"I was really unhappy. I called my friends from home, I was talking