The World Aquatics Championships may not have gone to plan for Mona McSharry, with a stomach bug impacting her performance in her final event, but the competitive juices are still fuelling a desire to ensure the Olympic bronze medallist will prolong her career in the pool.
McSharry endured a rough 48 hours before lining up in the heats of the 50m breaststroke. She clocked 31.28 seconds to finish eight, this after coming home sixth in the semi-finals of the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week.
Afterwards the Sligo woman spoke about how difficult it was to make it to the starting block.
"I've been pretty sick and it's tough to get out of bed the last few days," she said.
"Considering that I was able to get up and race today, I can only but be happy with it. Sadly it's not the end to the Worlds I wanted, but we just kind of take it and accept it."
As to the future, McSharry confirmed her intention to keep going, when saying: "It kind of just fuels me, honestly. I think after the Olympics last year, I was just ready for a break, and I do think that taking five months off really helped me power through this season.
"I'm excited to just get back in and keep training, maybe take a short break, but then get straight back into it and just prepare for the World Cups (October) and everything else coming up."
She added: "I think I had a real realisation at this competition that I'm not ready to be done yet. I'm not cutting myself short or anything, so I'm waiting until I really feel I want to be finished, and if that's not yet, then that's fine. I'll carry on as long as I'm excited and enjoying it."
Elsewhere on the penultimate day of action in Singapore, Shane Ryan, swimming the 50m backstroke for only the second time this year, won his heat in 24.96 seconds, but was 19th overall and outside of the semi-final places by just seven hundredths of a second.
Danielle Hill was just outside her season’s best of 25.22 in the 50m freestyle, clocking 25.24 to place eighth in her heat.
