#ROWING: Ireland’s Sanita Puspure finished a close-up fifth in the A Final of the women’s single sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Poznan today. The pace for much of the race was set by Fie Udby Erichsen of Denmark, but Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova stayed calm and passed her in the final quarter to take gold ahead of Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland, who took silver. Puspure, who was fifth at the 1500 metre mark, also finished fast, but was edged out of the bronze medal by Tatsiana Kukhta of Belarus. She was credited with the same time as fourth-placed Lina Saltyte of Lithuania, with Puspure .13 of a second back. Erichsen finished sixth.
European Rowing Championships, Poznan, Day Three (Irish interest)
Men
Lightweight Pair – A Final: 1 Britain (J Cassells, P Chambers) 6:28.58.
Lightweight Double Sculls – A Final: 1 France (S Delayre, J Azou) 6:11.38, 2 Britain (R Chambers, W Fletcher) 6:14.33, 3 Norway 6:15.53; 5 Ireland 6:21.89.
Women
Pair, B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Czech Republic 7:16.56, 2 Spain 7:17.04, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, M Dukarska) 7:20.37.
Lightweight Double Sculls – A Final: 1 Britain 7:00.71, 2 Germany 7:05.27, 3 Poland 7:05.36; 6 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:13.41.
Single Sculls – A Final: 1 Czech Republic (M Knapkova) 7:30.24, 2 Switzerland (J Gmelin) 7:32.0, 3 Belarus (T Kukhta) 7:33.16; 4 Lithuania 7:33.16, 5 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:33.29, 6 Denmark 7:37.55.
Lightweight Single Sculls, B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Denmark (R Holmegaard) 7:40.62, 2 Ireland (S Jennings) 7:45.64, 3 Netherlands 7:49.94.