Paul O’Donovan and Holly Nixon won their single sculls semi-finals and moved confidently into the A Finals of the World Rowing Junior Championships at Dorney Lake in England today.

O’Donovan, as has been his pattern in his two races so far, did not make the decisive move until the final quarter. When he drove for the line he had to fight it out with Andrii Mykhailov of Ukraine, and the Skibbereen man won this battle.

Nixon also won her semi-final in much the same way as she had won her heat - with a procession from the start which left the others following well behind.

World Rowing Junior Championships, Dorney Lake, England (Irish interest)

Men

Junior Single Scull – Semi-Final Two: 1 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:04.71, 2 Ukraine (A Mykhailov) 7:05.18, 3 Switzerland (A Maillefer) 7:06.03; 4 Zimbabwe 7:06.20, 5 Azerbaijan 7:11.51, 6 Belarus 7:16.93. Afloat.ie

Women

Junior Single Scull - Semi-final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (H Nixon) 7:44.21, 2 Latvia (E Gulbe) 7:49.16, 3 Italy (E Coletti) 7:51.31; 4 Japan 7:54.79, 5 Bulgaria 7:58.44, 6 Belgium 8:03.52. Afloat.ie

Holly Nixon dominated her first race at the World Junior Rowing Championships this morning. The Enniskillen woman led down the course in the second heat of the women’s single scull and had over 10 seconds to spare over second-placed Juliette Jeannet of Switzerland, who took the second direct qualification place for the A/B semi-finals.

World Junior Rowing Championships, Dorney Lake, Britain (Irish interest)

Women

Single Scull – Heat Two (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (H Nixon) 8:45.23, 2 Switzerland (J Jeannet) 8:55.51; 3 Belgium 9:04.72, 4 Slovenia 9:04.80, 5 Venezeula 10:06.41.