Ireland’s Mona McSharry secured her first gold medal of the 2026 World Aquatics World Cup series with victory in the 100m breaststroke final in Baku, Azerbaijan. Having topped the rankings in morning heats with a time of 1:04.94, McSharry went quicker in the final to clock 1:04.21.
Baku 100m Breaststroke Victory
McSharry stood alone as the only swimmer to dip under 65 seconds in the final. The performance claimed just the second World Cup gold medal of her career. Her previous title came in the 50m breaststroke at the Westmont stop of the 2025 series.
South Africa’s Aimee Canny took silver in 1:05.21 in the Baku pool. Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova, who won Thursday’s 200m breaststroke event, claimed bronze in 1:05.64.
Earlier Podiums in Azerbaijan
The 100m gold added to the silver medal McSharry won in the 200m breaststroke event earlier in the week. The 26-year-old from County Sligo finished that 200m final in 2:18.45, just 0.18 seconds outside her Irish record set at the 2025 World Cup. Chikunova took that 200m gold in 2:17.20, with Vitalina Simonova securing bronze in 2:21.21 as McSharry stood as the only other swimmer to break the 2:20 barrier.
Dublin’s Ellen Walshe also opened her campaign with a runner-up finish on the opening day, claiming silver in the 200m butterfly in 2:05.58. China’s Chang Mohan took gold in 2:04.15, while Xinyang Zhou claimed bronze in 2:05.65.
Walshe in the 400m Individual Medley
Following her butterfly silver, Walshe returned to action in the 400m individual medley and narrowly missed a second podium finish, placing fifth in 4:29.13. China’s Yiting Yu claimed gold in 4:24.09, while Great Britain’s Abbie Wood took silver in 4:27.95.
The battle for bronze went down to the final touch. China’s Mohan Chang secured third place in 4:28.76, just one-hundredth of a second ahead of Japan’s Waka Kobori at 4:28.77, leaving Walshe close behind in fifth.
Upcoming World Cup Stops Across October
McSharry and Walshe continue their packed October schedule across three distinct World Cup legs. Competition runs in Baku, Azerbaijan from October 1 to 3, moves to Tashkent, Uzbekistan from October 8 to 10, and concludes in Astana, Kazakhstan from October 15 to 17.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Baku World Cup Meet
What time did Mona McSharry swim in the 100m breaststroke heats?
McSharry topped the morning heat rankings with a time of 1:04.94 before improving to 1:04.21 in the final.
Who won the 200m butterfly event alongside Ellen Walshe?
China’s Chang Mohan claimed gold in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:04.15, ahead of Walshe’s silver-medal swim of 2:05.58.
Which cities are hosting the 2026 World Aquatics World Cup series in October?
The three stops are Baku, Azerbaijan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Astana, Kazakhstan.