#Rowing: Paul O'Donovan won the final of the single sculls at the Irish Open, the first trial of the new season at the National Rowing Centre today. The World Champion in the lightweight single sculls did not have the fastest time in his heat, but only his Olympic crewmate and brother Gary tested him in the final. Gary slowed and virtually stopped with 250 metres to go, and though he resumed his challenge, his younger brother was on his way to the win. Shane O'Driscoll was third and Daire Lynch, who is just 18, fourth.
Sanita Puspure was an emphatic winner of the women's single, while UCD won the women's and men's pairs.
Irish Open Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results)
Men
Pair - A Final: 1 UCD B (u23) 7:24.265, 2 Trinity (sen) 7:36.156, 3 NUIG (sen) 7:40.844. B Final: UCD A (u23) 7:44.499. C Final: 2 St Joseph's (jun) 8:08.83.
Single - A Final: 1 P O'Donovan (sen) 7:33.694, 2 G O'Donovan 7:36.616, 3 S O'Driscoll (sen) 7:38.710, 4 D Lynch (u23) 7:42.991, 5 F McCarthy (u23) 7:48.273, 6 C Beck (sen) 7:49.195. B Final: M O'Donovan 7:45.736. C Final: 3 D Begley (jun) 8:06.261.
Women
Pair - A Final: 1 UCD(sen) 8:12.88, 2 Cork Boat Club (u23) 8:19.72, 3 Fermoy (jun) 8:29.17. B Final: Commercial A (jun) 8:5023.
Single - A Final: 1 S Puspure (sen) 8:08.596, 2 D Walsh (sen) 8:26.816, 3 E Hegarty (u23) 8:40.582. B Final: M Cremen (jun) 8:53.36.