#Rowing: Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey took third in their repechage of the lightweight double sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria this morning. Switzerland, who won well, and Japan took the top two places and qualified for the A/B Semi-Finals. Walsh and Casey were fourth for much of the race, but passed Austria in the final sprint, though they were unable to get past Japan. Ireland is now set for the C/D Semi-Finals.  

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Three (Irish interest)

Women

Lightweight Double Sculls – Repechage One (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Switzerland 6:57.90, 2 Japan 7:00.67; 3 Ireland (A Casey, D Walsh) 7:03.88.

#Rowing: Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll qualified for the quarter-finals of the men’s pair with a second-place finish in their repechage at the World Rowing Championships. Sander de Graaf and Vincent Klaassens of the Netherlands won, with the Ireland pair, their only rivals for the top spot, finishing well and closing on them at the finish, where they were just 1.61 seconds down. Four of the five crews took quarter-final places, with Brazil taking third and Argentina losing out in the final sprint to Bulgaria for the final spot.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Pair – Repechage (Four to Quarter-Finals): The Netherlands 6:34.68 2 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:36.29, 3 Brazil 6:41.66, 4 Bulgaria 6:42.81.

Lightweight Quadruple Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Italy 5:48.03; 3 Ireland (F McCarthy, R Ballantine, J McCarthy, A Goff) 5:53.43.

Women

Double Sculls – Heat One (First Two to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada 6:54.02, 2 Netherlands 6:55.57; 6 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 7:08.79.

Single Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:25.78; 2 Denmark 7:39.93.  

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure punched in an outstanding performance as she won her heat of the single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv in Bulgaria. The Ireland sculler led off the start and gave her opponents no chance to challenge her for the one semi-final qualfication place on offer. She had a clearwater lead by 500 metres and eventually won by over 14 seconds from Fie-Udby Erichsen of Denmark.

 Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley looked good in the early stages of their heat of the women’s double sculls, but the race got away from them in the second 1,000 metres and they finished sixth. Canada and Germany were clear leaders through the middle of the race and looked set to take the two qualification spots for the semi-finals. The Netherlands pushed up in the final third of the race and took out Germany, who dropped back to fourth.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Quadruple Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Italy 5:48.03; 3 Ireland (F McCarthy, R Ballantine, J McCarthy, A Goff) 5:53.43.

Women

Double Sculls – Heat One (First Two to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada 6:54.02, 2 Netherlands 6:55.57; 6 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 7:08.79.

Single Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:25.78; 2 Denmark 7:39.93.  

#Rowing: Ireland finished third in their heat of the lightweight quadruple sculls this morning at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Italy took the one direct qualification place for the Final. The men in blue harnessed the good conditions and built a lead through the race. They had a clearwater advantage by the final quarter. In a battle for second place, the Czech Republic pipped the Ireland crew of Fintan McCarthy, Ryan Ballantine, Jake McCarthy and Andrew Goff.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Quadruple Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Italy 5:48.03; 3 Ireland (F McCarthy, R Ballantine, J McCarthy, A Goff) 5:53.43.

#Rowing: Ireland’s Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan won their heat with a sparkling performance at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv. Germany’s newly-formed lightweight double of Jonathan Rommelmann and Konstantin Steinhuebel seemed set to give the Ireland crew a test, leading through half way and 1500 metres. But the O’Donovans had much better base speed and left their rivals behind in the final quarter. Portugal and Argentina also qualified for the quarter-finals.

 Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey finished fourth in their heat of the lightweight double sculls. The first two positions were the valuable ones, as they secured a place in the semi-finals. New Zealand, Australia and Canada fought it out, with New Zealand’s Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle  securing a clear first, while Australia edged Canada out by .34 of a second. Walsh and Casey were over 10 seconds further back.

 The women’s pair of Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty qualified from their heat for the semi-finals, finishing second, while the men’s pair (fifth) and double (second) will have to compete in repechages.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Pair – Heat Four (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada 6:20.46, 2 South Africa 6:21.85, 3 France 6:25.43, 4 Belarus 6:28.22; 5 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:29.10

Double Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechages): 1 New Zealand 6:02.23; 2 Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:12.61

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Five (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:15.79, 2 Germany 6:19.23, 3 Portugal 6:21.55, 4 Argentina 6:30.24.

Women

Pair – Heat One (First Three to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 New Zealand 6:56.06, 2 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:11.51, 3 United States 7:13.02.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Three (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechages):  1 New Zealand 6:50.04, 2 Australia 6:51.11; 4 Ireland (A Casey, D Walsh) 7:02.25.

#Rowing: Ireland’s Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle produced a fine performance in their first competitive race together at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The Ireland double were up against it in their heat, with just one crew going directly to the A/B Semi-Finals. New Zealand’s John Storey and Chris Harris made that theirs, using the fast conditions well. Italy and Ireland looked set to battle it out for second, but Doyle and Byrne opened up in the second half of the race and were well clear in second at the line.

 Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll finished a disappointing fifth in the men’s pairs heat and will have to compete in a repechage to make the quarter-finals. Canada were impressive winners from South Africa and France, with Ireland and Belarus vying for the crucial fourth place and direct qualification. Ireland had a slight advantage with 500 metres to go, but the Belarussians wrested back the lead and had almost a second to spare crossing the line.

 The women’s pair of Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty qualified from their heat for the semi-finals, finishing second.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Pair – Heat Four (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada 6:20.46, 2 South Africa 6:21.85, 3 France 6:25.43, 4 Belarus 6:28.22; 5 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:29.10

Double Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechages): 1 New Zealand 6:02.23; 2 Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:12.61

Women

Pair – Heat One (First Three to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 New Zealand 6:56.06, 2 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:11.51, 3 United States 7:13.02.

#Rowing: Ireland’s Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty took an excellent second place to qualify for the semi-finals on the first day of the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

 The New Zealand pair of Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast are the best in the world at the moment: they are world champions and holders of the world's best time. They showed it by flying away from the field and winning well. There were two other direct qualification places on offer, with Australia, Ireland and the United States contending for them.

 The United States were second to half way, but by then Keogh and Hegarty were moving. They pulled out a good third quarter and were virtually level with the Americans at 1500 metres. They pushed into second and secured their place in the next round. The American crew of Victoria Opitz and Gia Doonan were third.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day One (Irish interest)

Women

Pair – Heat One (First Three to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 New Zealand 6:56.06, 2 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:11.51, 3 United States 7:13.02.

#Canoeing: Jenny Egan produced a spirited fightback to take a bronze medal at the canoe sprint World Championships – her first in this championships. The Ireland K1 paddler fell back after a disappointing start at Montemor O Velho and had to claw her way from 15^th to third. Lizzie Broughton of Britain sprinted away to take gold, with Maryna Litvinchuk of Belarus taking silver. Egan took bronze at the canoe marathon World Championships in 2017 and will compete in the marathon event again next month.  

Canoe Sprint World Championships, Montemor O Velho, Portugal (Irish interest)

Women

K1 5,000 metres: 3 J Egan 24 min 15.08 sec.

#Rowing: Eliza O’Reilly and Gill McGirr took third in their repechage and qualified for the A/B semi-finals of the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic this morning. In quite rough conditions, the Fermoy girls thought their way through the race well. Slovenia and France went off fast, but the Slovenians faltered and France took over the lead, with Hungary tracking them. Ireland pushed into third. These three boats fashioned a clearwater lead and never gave it up.

World Junior Rowing Championships, Racice, Czech Republic (Selected Results)

Women

Pair – Repechage (First Three to A/B Semi-Final; rest to C Final): 1 France 7:25.97, 2 Hungary 7:29.32, 3 Ireland (E O’Reilly, G McGirr) 7:31.49.

#Rowing: A lightweight quadruple has been added to the Ireland team for the senior World Championships. Andrew Goff, Ryan Ballantine, Jake McCarthy and Fintan McCarthy will compete alongside the four women’s crews and three men’s crews named earlier this week.

Ireland Team for World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, September 9^th to 16^th:

Men

Pair: M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll

Lightweight Quadruple: Andrew Goff, Ryan Ballantine, Fintan McCarthy, Jake McCarthy

Double Sculls: Ronan Byrne, Philip Doyle

Lightweight Double Sculls: Gary O’Donovan, Paul O’Donovan

Women

Pair: Aifric Keogh, Emily Hegarty

Double Sculls: Monika Dukarska, Aileen Crowley

Lightweight Double Sculls: Aoife Casey, Denise Walsh

Single Sculls: Sanita Puspure