#ROWING: Paul O’Donovan won the B Final of the lightweight single sculls at the World Cup Regatta in Aiguebelette in France this morning. The UCD man was fourth at 500 metres but headed the field in the final quarter and moved clear to win well and secure seventh overall.

The women’s pair of Leonora Kennedy and Lisa Dilleen finished third in their B Final, ninth overall. New Zealand’s Louise Trappitt and Rebecca Scown – who won the A Final at the first World Cup in Sydney – were impressive winners of this race, while Ireland and Canada battled for second, well ahead of Germany One, Britain Two and France.

The Ireland lightweight women’s double scull of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh finished their first regatta together as a crew fifth in the B Final, 11th overall. China Two won from the United States, Australia and Denmark while behind them Ireland outpaced Brazil all the way down the course.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day Three (Irish interest, selected results)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:07.46, 2 Azerbaijan (J Afandiyev) 7:08.23, 3 Britain (Z Lee-Green) 7:10.55, 4 France 7:13.96, 5 Algeria 7:17.64, 6 Switzerland 7:19.68.

Women

Pair – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 New Zealand (L Trappitt, R Scown) 7:10.55, 2 Canada (N Mastracci, S Grainger) 7:15.16, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:16.53, 4 Germany 7:24.64, 5 Britain 7:26.55, 6 France 7:27.64.

Lightweight Double Scull – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 China Two (Huan Zhang, Le Chen) 7:11.20, 2 United States (D Karz, M Sechser) 7:12.17, 3 Australia (E Flecker, A McNamara) 7:13.42, 4 Denmark 7:14.02, 5 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:16.71, 6 Brazil 7:23.33.

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#ROWING: Ireland’s Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy finished fifth in the pairs’ semi-final at the World Cup Regatta in Aiguebelette today. Three United States crews drawn from their eight took the qualification spots with Canada – also a crew drawn from the country’s eight – fourth. Dilleen and Kennedy tried to break into the dominant leading group but could not.

The lightweight women’s double of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh stuck gamely to their task in their semi-final, but finished sixth. China One, Sweden and Britain’s Kat Copeland and Imogen Walsh collared the three qualification spots, with Copeland and Walsh judging their finish well to win.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day Two (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Men

Single Sculls – D Final (Places 19 to 23): 1 Bulgaria 7:14.01, 2 Ireland (J Keohane) 7:16.48, 3 China 7:19.41.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Germany Two (J Schoemann-Finck) 7:00.71, 2 Bulgaria (V Nedelcho) 7:03.69, 3 France (D Piqueras) 7:04.23; 4 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:06.99, 5 Switzerland One 7:14.8, 6 Algeria 7:21.36. C Final (places 13 to 18): 1 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan) 7:17.11, 2 Tunisia One 7:17.40, 3 Switzerland Two 7:19.58.

Women

Pair – A/B Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final):

1 United States Three (V Opitz, M Musnicki) 7:02.27, 2 United States One (M Kalmoe, K Simmonds) 7:02.33, 3 United States Four (A Polk, L Schmetterling) 7:04.23; 4 Canada 7:07.94, 5 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:16.80, 6 France 7:32.46.

Double Sculls – C Final (Places 13, 14): 1 France 7:12.84, 2 Ireland (M Dukarska, E Moran) 7:20.78.

Lightweight Double Sculls – A/B Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Britain (I Walsh, K Copeland) 7:05.84, 2 China One (Tianyu Teng, Wenyi Huang) 7:07.25, 3 Sweden (C Lilja, E Fredh) 7:08.90; 4 Australia 7:13.07, 5 China Two 7:13.17, 6 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:14.79.

#ROWING: Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh produced a gutsy drive to the line to secure another semi-final place for Ireland at the World Cup in Aiguebelette in France today. Two crews would qualify from the lightweight double repechage, and Poland and Brazil looked set to take those places in the closing stages. Lambe and Walsh clung on to third and then overtook Poland to qualify behind Brazil.

Mark O’Donovan finished fourth in the repechage of the lightweight single sculls and is set to compete in the C Final for places 13 to 18.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day One (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Men

Single Sculls – Heat One (Time Trial; First Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage); 1 Cuba (A Fournier Rodriguez) 6:48.06; 2 Canada 6:55.45, 3 Finland 6:59.39, 4 United States 7:06.59, 5 Ireland (J Keohane) 7:12.69, 6 Hungary 7:17.37.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heats (Time Trials; First Two Directly Through to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage) – Heat One: 1 China (Tiexin Wang) 7:02.36, 2 France (D Piqueras) 7:07.64; 5 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan) 7:20.78

Heat Three: 1 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:11.34, 2 Britain (Z Lee-Green) 7:15.60.

Repechage One (First Two to A/B Semis; 3-5 to C Final): 4 Ireland Two (O’Donovan) 7:37.56.

Women

Pair – Heat Two (Time Trial; First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada (N Mastracci, S Grainger) 7:13.29, 2 United States Two (G Luczak, C Lind) 7:13.87, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:18.15; 4 Germany Two 7:32.77, 5 China Two 7:37.06.

Double Sculls – Heat Three (Time Trial; First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Belarus (E Karsten, Y Bichyk) 6:51.94, 2 Britain (F Houghton, V Thornley) 6:54.71, 3 China (Yuwei Wang, Weiwei Zhu) 6:57.09; 4 France 7:07.40, 5 Ireland (M Dukarska, E Moran) 7:12.42.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Two (Time Trial; First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Britain One (I Walsh, K Copeland) 7:02.44, 2 United States (D Karz, M Sechser) 7:07.21; 3 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 5:21.89, 4 Mexico Two 7:20.55, 5 Belarus 7:20.95. Repechage (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; 3-5 to C Final): 1 Brazil (B Cardoso, F Beltrame) 7:24.44, 2 Ireland (Lambe, Walsh) 7:25.65; 3 Poland 7:27.13, 4 Belarus 7:33.59, 5 Czech Republic 7:37.94, 6 Mexico One 7:46.68.

Single Sculls – Heat Three (Time Trial; First Two directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 China (Jingli Duan) 7:30.54, 2 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:34.63; 3 Switzerland 7:35.99, 4 France 7:37.79, 5 Zimbabwe 7:41.57, 6 Croatia 7:42.46.

Pararowing – Arms and Shoulders Men’s Single Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 5 Ireland (T Kelly)

#ROWING: The new Ireland lightweight double scull of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh missed out by one place on qualifying directly for the A/B semi-finals at the World Cup Regatta at Aiguebelette in France. The first two crews from the heat, which was run on a time trial basis, qualified. Britain’s Imogen Walsh and Kat Copeland, who went off first and set a very fast pace, won. The United States held Ireland out of second by .84 of a second. Ireland will have a second chance in a repechage.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day One (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heats (Time Trials; First Two Directly Through to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage) – Heat One: 1 China (Tiexin Wang) 7:02.36, 2 France (D Piqueras) 7:07.64; 5 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan) 7:20.78

Heat Three: 1 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:11.34, 2 Britain (Z Lee-Green) 7:15.60.

Women

Pair – Heat Two (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada (N Mastracci, S Grainger) 7:13.29, 2 United States Two (G Luczak, C Lind) 7:13.87, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:18.15; 4 Germany Two 7:32.77, 5 China Two 7:37.06.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Two (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Britain One (I Walsh, K Copeland) 7:02.44, 2 United States (D Karz, M Sechser) 7:07.21; 3 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 5:21.89, 4 Mexico Two 7:20.55, 5 Belarus 7:20.95

Pararowing – Arms and Shoulders Men’s Single Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 5 Ireland (T Kelly)

#ROWING: Ireland’s Eimear Lambe and Jasmine English came within .07 of a second of an A Final placing at the European Junior Rowing Championships in Hazewinkel in Belgium today. The Russia double scull edged out the Irish. Lambe and English later placed sixth in the B Final.

Conor Carmody and David O’Malley won the C Final of the men’s double sculls, placing them 13th overall. They had earlier won their semi-final.

The Ireland junior pair and women’s single competed in C Finals, but were not contenders.Both finished fourth of four crews.

European Junior Rowing Championships, Hazewinkel, Belgium (Irish interest):

Saturday

Men

Pair – Heat Two (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals: 5 Ireland (D Keohane, B Keohane) 7:30.39. Repechage: 5 Ireland 7:34.21

Double Sculls – Heat Three (First directly to A/B semi-finals): 4 Ireland (C Carmody, D O’Malley) 6:56.91. Repechage: 4 Ireland.

Women

Double Sculls – Heat One (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals): 2 Ireland (J English, E Lambe) 7:54.10.

Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Two directly to A/B Semi-finals): 5 Ireland (E Barry) 8:38.33. Repechage: 5 Barry 9:05.20.

Sunday

Men

Pair – C Final (13 to 16): 4 Ireland.

Double – C/D Semi-Final Two: 1 Ireland. C Final:

Women

Double – A/B Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final): 1 Netherlands 7:19.32, 2 Lithuania 7:24.83, 3 Russia 7:25.57, 4 Ireland 7:24.64. B Final (Places 7 to 12): 6 Ireland.

Single – C Final (13 to 16): 4 Ireland.  

#ROWING: A team of seven athletes have been selected to represent Ireland at the European Junior Rowing Championships in Hazelwinkel, Belgium on May 24^th and 25^th. This is the first time Rowing Ireland has sent a team to compete at this event.

 The team is:

Junior Women’s Single Scull: Erin Barry, Bann RC.

Junior Women’s Double Scull: Eimear Lambe, Commercial RC and Jasmine English, Belfast BC

Junior Men’s Double Scull: David O’Malley, St Michaels RC and Conor Carmody, Shannon RC

Junior Men’s Pair: David Keohane and Brian Keohane, Presentation College RC

All seven athletes represented Ireland in 2013. Erin Barry, Jasmine English, David O’Malley and Conor Carmody competed at the Junior World Rowing Championships, while Eimear Lambe, David Keohane and Brian Keohane were chosen for the Coupe de la Jeunesse, a European tournament. This year’s World Junior Rowing Championships and Coupe de la Jeunesse both take place in August.

#ROWING: A relatively good 2013 for Irish international rowing will bring practical benefits this year. Five rowers, three more than last year, will receive funding from The Irish Sports Council under the 2014 International Carding Scheme. Sanita Puspure and Claire Lambe have again hit the mark: Puspure qualifies for €20,000 as a world class category athlete and Lambe receives €12,000 as an international class competitor. The two are joined this year by Paul O’Donovan, Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska, who will also be granted €12,000 as international class athletes.

O’Donovan won a medal at the World Under-23 Championships in 2013, while the women’s double sculls of Dukarska and Kennedy finished 10th at the World Championships. This position would secure Olympic qualification for an Ireland boat if it were reproduced at the World Championships next year.

#WRChamps: Italy’s Denise Zacco denied Claire Lambe a win in the C Final of the lightweight single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea. Lambe led through the first three quarters of the 2,000 metres, but Zacco judged the race superbly: by 1500 metres she had passed Yoo Jin Ji of Korea; she closed on Lambe, then passed her in the last 200 metres.

World Championships, Day Six (Irish interest)

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 Italy (D Zacco) 8:05.21, 2 Ireland (C Lambe) 8:07.38, 3 Korea (Yoo Jin Ji) 8:08.75, 4 Japan 8:18.46, 5 Singapore 8:24.11, 6 India 8:32.05.

#WRChamps: Claire Lambe missed out by less than a second on a chance of competing in the A or B Finals at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea. The Dubliner needed to finish in the top two in the repechage, and contested second place with Australia’s Ella Flecker, but the Australian prevailed by .9 of a second. Patricia Obee of Canada finished ahead of both. Lambe must next compete in  a C/D Semi-Final.

World Rowing Championships, Day Three (Irish interest)

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Repechage (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Final): 1 Canada (P Obee) 7:38.35, 2 Australia (E Flecker) 7:42.73; 3 Ireland (C Lambe) 7:43.63, 4 Italy 7:47.10, 5 Korea 7:52.30, 6 India 8:25.62.

#WorldRowingChampionships: Claire Lambe finished third in her heat and must compete in a repechage as she seeks a place in the semi-finals at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea. The Dubliner led early in the battle of the lightweight single scullers, but Ursula Grobler of South Africa powered into the lead after 500 metres and went on to win well. Alena Kryvasheyenka of Belarus took over in second after halfway, with Lambe third ahead of scullers from Singapore and Indonesia.

World Rowing Championships, Day One (Irish interest)

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to Repechage): 1 South Africa (U Grobler) 7:58.84, 2 Belarus (A Kryvasheyenka) 8:04.59; 3 Ireland (C Lambe) 8:16.06, 4 Singapore 8:34.99, 5 Indonesia 8:54.69.