#ROWING – Three of the four Ireland crews competing in heats at the Memorial Paolo d'Aloja regatta in Piediluco in Italy made it through to the first day of finals on Saturday. Sanita Puspure finished third in her heat of the single sculls; the lightweight double of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh were second in their heat and Siobhán McCrohan was third in her heat of the lightweight single sculls. Paul and Gary O'Donovan were unlucky not to qualify in the lightweight double scull. They were third in by far the fastest of three heats (won by world champions South Africa). The O'Donovans' time would have won either of the other heats. Ireland will have four crews competing in finals on Saturday, as the new pair of Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy go in a straight final.
Memorial Paolo d'Aloja International Regatta, Piediluco, Italy (Irish interest)
Men
Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Two: 1 South Africa (J Thompson, J Smith) 6:17.68, 2 Portugal (N Coelho, P Fraga) 6:21. 68, 3 Ireland (P O'Donovan, G O'Donovan) 6:23.05.
Women
Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat One: 1 South Africa 7:03.30, 2 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:11.35, 3 Italy Two (F Cesarini, D Zacco) 7:16.51.
Single Sculls – Heat Two: 1 Italy (S Magnaghi) 7:37.92, 2 Greece (A Nikolaidou) 7:41.04, 3 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:48.93.
Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat One: 1 South Africa (K Johnstone) 7:42.69, 2 Switzerland (P Merz) 7:46.15, 3 Ireland (S McCrohan) 7:49.78.
