#Rowing: Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley took an encouraging second place in their heat as they qualified for the quarter finals in the women’s pair at the World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The United States looked to have the win wrapped up, but Ireland raced to the line and pushed them at the finish.

 Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll finished sixth in their heat of the men’s pair. They were not in the mix for the top-four placing which would have seen them directly into the quarter-finals, and must compete in a repechage.

World Rowing Championships, Linz, Austria, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Pair – Heat One (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage):

6 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:50.51.

Women

Pair – Heat Four (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage):

2 Ireland (A Crowley, M Dukarska) 7:13.30

#Rowing: Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne took ninth in the world in the men’s double at the World Rowing Championships here in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The Ireland crew finished third in their B Final behind the Netherlands and Poland. They tucked in behind those duelling crews – there was only .35 of a second between them on the line. Ireland did push up to try to break into the top two but finished more than a boat length behind them, but well clear of the other three crews.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Eight (Irish interest):

Men

Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Netherlands 6:05.10, 2 Poland 6:05.10, 3 Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:08.81.

Women

Double Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 6:54.55, 2 Chile 6:57.29, 3 Italy 6:58.17.

#Rowing: Ireland started the final day of the World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria in winning fashion. Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley dominated their C Final, winning by a length from Chile. This places the Ireland crew 13^th in the world.

The strong winds prompted the organisers to redraw the lanes. The water was also visibly choppier than in recent days.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Eight (Irish interest):

Women

Double Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 6:54.55, 2 Chile 6:57.29, 3 Italy 6:58.17.

#Rowing: Ireland won gold at the World Rowing Championships with another brilliant row by the O’Donovan brothers. The Ireland lightweight double were in one of the unfavoured lanes - lane six - after taking third in their semi-final. But when it mattered they won.

Italy set off fast, but the O’Donovans chased them down and caught them in coming into the final quarter. They then produced their fastest 500 metres of their race to cross the line first and thrill the roaring crowd.

Italy took second, Belgium third. Before the race, Norway had to replace Kris Brun with Jens Holm.

World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Seven (Irish interest):

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – A Final: 1 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:06.81, 2 Italy 6:08.31, 3 Belgium 6:11.25.

Women

Pair – A Final: 1 Canada 6:50.67, 2 New Zealand 6:52.96, 3 Spain 7:04.60; 6 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:15.70.

#Rowing: Ireland’s lightweight quadruple of Fintan McCarthy, Ryan Ballantine, Jake McCarthy and Andrew Goff took fifth in the A Final of the World Championships today. Germany raced well, winning a contest with Italy, who took second. Turkey, Ireland and Denmark fought it out for the bronze. The Turks took the honours, while Denmark’s fast finish pushed Ireland back to fifth in the world.

Men

Lightweight Quadruple – A Final: 1 Germany 5:51.21, 2 Italy 5:52.85, 3 Turkey 5:53.95; 5 Ireland (F McCarthy, R Ballantine, J McCarthy, A Goff) 5:56.64.

Double – Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): Britain 6:06.59, 2 New Zealand 6:08.00, 3 Romania 6:08.17; 5 Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:10.95.

Women

Eight – Repechage (First Four to A Final): 4 Britain (8 R Shorten) 6:04.63.

Single Sculls – A/B Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:23.01, 2 Denmark (F-U Erichsen) 7:30.73, 3 Germany (A Thiele) 7:32.74.

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure won her semi-final and progressed confidently to the A Final of the single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. While Fie-Udby Erichsen of Denmark staged an early challenge and led, Puspure swept through her as they approached the 1,000 metres. She then powered away and won with two lengths of clear water to spare.

Carling Zeeman was a good tip to join the two in the A Final, but caught a crab which momentarily stopped her boat. Annekatrin Thiele took the third and final qualifying spot.

Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland won the second semi-final from Kara Kohler of the United States, with Magdalena Lobnig of Austria just squeezing out Madeleine Edmunds of Australia for the third A Final spot. Gmelin’s time was just .92 of a second off Pupure’s.

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

Men

Double – Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): Britain 6:06.59, 2 New Zealand 6:08.00, 3 Romania 6:08.17; 5 Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:10.95.

Women

Eight – Repechage (First Four to A Final): 4 Britain (8 R Shorten) 6:04.63.

Single Sculls – A/B Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:23.01, 2 Denmark (F-U Erichsen) 7:30.73, 3 Germany (A Thiele) 7:32.74.

#Rowing: Ireland’s Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne took fifth in their semi-final at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria this morning. They will compete in the B Final for places six to 12. The top three took A Final places and Ireland actually led through the first 500 metres. Britain’s Angus Groom and Jack Beaumont took over the lead and built it. They would go on to win. The Irish crew were still their nearest challengers at halfway, but from there New Zealand took over in second and held it. Ireland stayed well in it, but were passed by Romania and Poland. The Romanians took third.

In the first race of the day, the Britain women’s eight squeaked through to the A Final by taking the fourth of four qualification places in their repechage – by .16 of a second from New Zealand. Rebecca Shorten from Belfast is the stroke woman for the crew.

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

Men

Double – Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): Britain 6:06.59, 2 New Zealand 6:08.00, 3 Romania 6:08.17; 5 Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:10.95.

Women

Eight – Repechage (First Four to A Final): 4 Britain (8 R Shorten) 6:04.63.

#Rowing: Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll featured in the closest race of the day at the World Rowing Championships. The first three crews to finish in the C/D semi-final of the men’s pair would go through to the C Final. O’Donovan and O’Driscoll pushed hard to catch Australia and held second as the crews dashed for the line. But Italy and the Netherlands sped into the picture. The finish was so close that it was well into the next race before the judges ruled that Ireland and Italy had finished joint second (a very unusual decision). The Netherlands missed out by .04 of a second and go to the D Final.

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

Men

Pair – Quarter-Final Four (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Canada 6:26.04, 2 New Zealand 6:30.36, 3 Czech Republic 6:35.01; 5 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:44.28. C/D Semi-Final One (Three to C Final; rest to D Final): 1 Australia 6:36.82, 2= Ireland 6:38.74, 2= Italy 6:38.74; 4 The Netherlands 6:38.78.

Double Sculls – Repechage Four (First Two to A/B Semi-Final): Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:16.96, 2 Bulgaria 6:20.15.

Lightweight Double – Semi-Final Two (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Italy 6:21.94, 2 Belgium 6:22.83, 3 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:23.78.

Women

Pair – Semi-Final (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:14.67, 2 Italy 7:14.99, 3 Spain 7:15.30.

Lightweight Double Sculls – C/D Semi-Final (First Two to C Final; rest to D Final): 1 Ireland (A Casey, D Walsh) 7:20.51, 2 Spain 7:24.08.

#Rowing: Aoife Casey and Denise Walsh won their C/D Semi-Final and qualfied for the C Final at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv today. The first two would go to the C Final, and it was clear early in the race that these would be Spain and Ireland. Thailand trailed this two. Spain led and looked set to win – but Casey and Walsh won the battle at the head of the field with Spain.

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

Men

Pair – Quarter-Final Four (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Canada 6:26.04, 2 New Zealand 6:30.36, 3 Czech Republic 6:35.01; 5 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:44.28.

Double Sculls – Repechage Four (First Two to A/B Semi-Final):

Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:16.96, 2 Bulgaria 6:20.15.

Lightweight Double – Semi-Final Two (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Italy 6:21.94, 2 Belgium 6:22.83, 3 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:23.78.

Women

Pair – Semi-Final (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:14.67, 2 Italy 7:14.99, 3 Spain 7:15.30.

Lightweight Double Sculls – C/D Semi-Final (First Two to C Final; rest to D Final): 1 Ireland (A Casey, D Walsh) 7:20.51, 2 Spain 7:24.08.

#Rowing: Aifric Keogh an Emily Hegarty produced a stunning final 500 metres to win their semi-final of the pair and qualify for the A Final at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv. The race was being fought out between Spain Britain and Italy, with Ireland fifth for most of the 2,000 metres. But then came that sprint. Ireland swept through the places; Britain fell back. Ireland won, with Italy and Spain taking the other A Final spots.

 Earlier the men's double of Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne had also qualfied for their A Final.

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

Men

Pair – Quarter-Final Four (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Canada 6:26.04, 2 New Zealand 6:30.36, 3 Czech Republic 6:35.01; 5 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:44.28.

Double Sculls – Repechage Four (First Two to A/B Semi-Final):

Ireland (P Doyle, R Byrne) 6:16.96, 2 Bulgaria 6:20.15.

Women

Pair – Semi-Final (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (A Keogh, E Hegarty) 7:14.67, 2 Italy 7:14.99, 3 Spain 7:15.30.