#ROWING: Sanita Puspure is the Afloat Rower of the Month for May. The Old Collegians single sculler put Ireland back on the map in this prestigious discipline when she took bronze at the European Championships, which ran from May 30th to June 1st. She finished third in her heat, behind Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova and Chantal Achterberg of the Netherlands, but then won her repechage and placed a steady second in her semi-final. Puspure went on to reproduce the good form she had been showing in training in the final, just .3 of a second behind gold medallist Knapkova and 0.02 behind fast-finishing Achterberg.

The achievement brought Ireland its first senior medal at a major Championships for a female openweight competitor.

Rower of the Month awards: The judging panel is made up of Liam Gorman, rowing correspondent of The Irish Times and David O'Brien, Editor of Afloat magazine. Monthly awards for achievements during the year will appear on afloat.ie and the overall national award will be presented to the person or crew who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to rowing during 2014. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2014 champions list grow.

#ROWING: Sanita Puspure lifted Ireland to the podium at the European Rowing Championships in Belgrade in Serbia today. In a brilliant final of the women’s single sculls, Puspure started well and stayed up with the leaders right through the race. In a thrilling final 50 metres Mirka Knapkova, the Olympic champion battled Puspure to hold on to the lead, and then Puspure was just edged out of silver by a stunning finish by Chantal Achterberg of the Netherlands. There was just two hundredths of a second between silver and bronze – and Puspure was just three tenths of a second behind gold medal winner Knapkova.

European Rowing Championships, Belgrade, Serbia (Irish interest; Selected Results):

Men

Lightweight Four – A Final: 1 Denmark 6:08.81, 2 Britain (P Chambers, R Chambers, M Aldred, C Bartley) 6:10.97, 3 France 6:12.81.

Single Sculls – A Final: 1 Czech Republic (O Synek) 6:54.95; 6 Britain (A Campbell) 7:02.92

Women

Pair – A Final: I Britain (H Glover, P Swann) 7:03.620, 2 Romania (C Grigoras, L Oprea) 7:08.52, 3 The Netherlands (A Jorritsma, H Boers) 7:10.56, 4 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:12.42, 5 Croatia 7:23.66, 6 Germany.

Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 10): 1 Czech Republic (L Antosova, A Zabova) 7:01.76, 2 Italy 7:05.18, 3 Austria 7:09.22

4 Ireland (M Dukarska, E Moran) 7:13.39.

Single Sculls – A Final: 1 Czech Republic (M Knapkova) 7:42.74,

2 Netherlands (C Achterberg) 7:43.02, 3 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:43.04; 4 Austria 7:44.97, 5 Russia 7:49.23, 6 Germany 7:54.5.

#ROWING: Ireland’s Sanita Puspure joined the women’s pair in the A Finals of the European Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia by finishing second in her semi-final. Germany’s Annekatrin Thiele set the pace for much of the race, but Puspure pushed her hard in the closing stages and the German faded. Chantal Achterberg of the Netherlands then took up battle with Puspure and finished just over a second faster than the Ireland sculler.

In the repechage of the women’s double sculls, Eimear Moran and Monika Dukarska were never in contention and finished at the back of the field, almost 25 seconds behind the winners, the Netherlands.

European Rowing Championships, Day Two (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – C/D Semi-Final Two: (First Three to C Final): Croatia 7:10.20, 2 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:11.13, 3 Slovakia 7:11.54; 4 Netherlands 7:12.19.

Women

Pair – Repechage Two (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1

Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:20.36, 2 Germany 7:22.89; 3 Czech Republic 7:24.99, 4 France 7:36.63

Double – Repechage (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Netherlands (N Beukers, I Janssen) 6:54.59, 2 Russia (E Potapova, M Krasilnikova) 6:57.25; 3 Czech Republic 6:58.72, 4 Italy 7:00.87, 5 Austria 7:14.31, 6 Ireland (M Dukarksa, E Moran) 7:19.82.

Single – A/B Semi-Final Two (Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Netherlands (C Achterberg) 7:36.98, 2 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:38.31, 3 Germany (A Thiele) 7:41.36; 4 Ukraine 7:44.95, 5 Sweden 7:45.46, 6 Latvia 7:57.97.

#ROWING: Sanita Puspure won her repechage at the European Rowing Championships in Belgrade in Serbia today to qualify for tomorrow’s semi-finals of the women’s single sculls. Puspure could have finished in any of the top three places and qualified, but she made the race her own and won convincingly. Behind her there was a battle for second and third, with Denmark and Latvia making it.

European Rowing Championships, Belgrade, Serbia – Day One (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Italy (M Miani) 6:56.92, 2 Bulgaria (N Vasilev) 6:59.35; 3 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:02.21, 4 France 7:06.95, 5 Turkey 7:16.58. Repechage (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Slovenia (R Hrvat) 7:06.58, 2 Serbia (M Stanojevic) 7:09.01; 3 Czech Republic 7:11.62, 4 Ireland (O’Donovan) 7:12.26, 5 Netherlands 7:15.5.

Women

Pair – Heat Two (Winner to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Romania (C Grigoras, L Oprea) 7:14.51; 2 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:18.77, 3 Croatia 7:21.87, 4 Serbia 7:24.46, 5 Germany 7:32.40.

Double Sculls – Heat Two (First Two to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Poland (M Fularczyk, N Madaj) 6:46.50, 2 Britain (F Houghton, V Thornley); 3 Netherlands 6:54.59, 4 Czech Republic 7:10.63, 5 Ireland (M Dukarska, E Moran) 7:16.66.

Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Czech Republic (M Knapkova) 7:29.98, 2 Netherlands (C Acterberg) 7:31.64; 3 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:39.26, 4 Sweden 7:48.13, 5 Latvia 7:51.24. Repechage Two (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C Final): 1 Ireland (Puspure) 7:43.41, 2 Denmark (L Jakobsen) 7:46.03, 3 Latvia (E Gulbe) 7:46.75; 4 Bulgaria 7:48.05, 5 Estonia 7:53.49, 6 Norway 7:58.91.

#ROWING: All four Ireland crews are set for repechages after today's first session of heats at the European Rowing Championships in Belgrade in Serbia.  The women’s pair of Leonora Kennedy and Lisa Dilleen came a creditable second to Romania in their heat, but only one automatic qualification place was on offer. Women’s single sculler Sanita Puspure also finished just one place off qualification, in third, in a race won by Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova. The Ireland women’s double of Monika Dukarska and Eimear Moran were fifth in their heat.

Earlier, Paul O’Donovan had finished third in his heat of the lightweight single sculls.

European Rowing Championships, Belgrade, Serbia – Day One (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Italy (M Miani) 6:56.92, 2 Bulgaria (N Vasilev) 6:59.35; 3 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:02.21, 4 France 7:06.95, 5 Turkey 7:16.58.

Women

Pair – Heat Two (Winner to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Romania (C Grigoras, L Oprea) 7:14.51; 2 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:18.77, 3 Croatia 7:21.87, 4 Serbia 7:24.46, 5 Germany 7:32.40.

Double Sculls – Heat Two (First Two to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Poland (M Fularczyk, N Madaj) 6:46.50, 2 Britain (F Houghton, V Thornley); 3 Netherlands 6:54.59, 4 Czech Republic 7:10.63, 5 Ireland (M Dukarska, E Moran) 7:16.66.

Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Czech Republic (M Knapkova) 7:29.98, 2 Netherlands (C Acterberg) 7:31.64; 3 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:39.26, 4 Sweden 7:48.13, 5 Latvia 7:51.24.

#ROWING: Sanita Puspure added a second silver medal to the one she won on Saturday at the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja regatta in Italy today. She finished, as she had on Saturday, behind Donata Vistartaite of Lithuania. Paul O’Donovan was again near the head of the field in the men’s lightweight single sculls, but he had to settle for fourth.

Memorial Paolo d’Aloja, Piediluco, Italy (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls: 1 Italy (M Miani) 7:01.88, 2 Greece Two (E Konsolas) 7:07.15, 3 India (D Dushyant) 7:09.36, 4 Ireland (O’Donovan) 7:09.63

Women

Pair: 1 Ireland (Kennedy, Dilleen) 7:30.0, 2 Italy (Arcangiolini, Marzari) 7:43.67, 3 Italy Two (Basadonna, Bellio) 7:47.89.

Double Sculls: 1 Italy Two (Schiavone, Palma) 7:20.55, 2 Italy (Patelli, Bertolasi) 7:25.08, 3 Belgium (J Ghuysen, M Lewuillon) 4 Ireland (Moran, Dukarska) 7:30.78.

Single Sculls: 1 Lithuania (Vistartaite) 7:48.66, 2 Ireland (Puspure) 7:54.83, 3 Italy (S Magnaghi) 8:03.06.

#ROWING: All four Ireland crews will compete in Finals on Sunday at the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja regatta in Italy. Sanita Puspure and Paul O’Donovan guaranteed their places by finishing second in their heats. The women’s pair and women’s double sculls go directly through to their finals. 

Memorial Paolo d’Aloja, Piediluco, Italy (Irish interest, Finals)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls: 1 South Africa (LS Ndlovu) 7:00.21, 2 India (D Dushyant) 7:00.93, 3 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:02.33.

Women

Pair: 1 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:25.22, 2 Ialy (B Arcangiolini, G Marzari) 7:33.70, 3 Italy Three (I Broggini, V Calabrese) 7:36.35.

Sculling, Double: 1 Italy Two (L Schiavone, G Palma) 7:17.10, 2 Italy One (A Patelli, S Bertolasi) 7:23.75, 3 Ireland (E Moran, M Dukarska) 7:33.44.

Single: 1 Lithuania (D Vistartaite) 7:45.46, 2 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:49.92, 3 Italy (S Magnaghi) 8:00.86.

Saturday Heats

Lightweight Men – 2 P O’Donovan 7:23.19

Women’s Single – 2 S Puspure 7:44.91

#ROWING: Ireland crews took medals on the first day of finals at the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja in Piediluco in Italy. Sanita Puspure was second behind Donata Vistartaite of Lithuania in the women’s single sculls, with Magnaghi Sara of Italy third. The women’s double of Eimear Moran and Monika Dukarska took bronze in a final where they were the only non-Italian crew.

#ROWING: Sanita Puspure finished second in her heat and qualified for tomorrow’s single sculls final at the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja regatta in Italy. The Ireland Olympian clocked seven minutes 41 seconds, seven seconds behind the winning time, on her return to action after a season ruined by illness. Puspure was Ireland’s sole rower at the 2012 Olympics. She finished 13th.

#ROWING: Paul O’Donovan and Sanita Puspure headed the rankings on the first day of the Ireland Trial at the National Rowing Centre in Cork today. O’Donovan, who is still just 19 and a lightweight, was the fastest single sculler on the water. In sometimes difficult headwind conditions he hit 85.5 per cent of projected world gold medal winning time for an under-23 lightweight. Puspure was the fastest woman and her per centage as an openweight single sculler was 84.42.

Ireland Trials, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Selected Results (provisional); Ranked by Time and Per Centage of projected World Gold Medal Time)

Men

Pair – Under-23: 1 M Pukelis, K Neville 7:19.33 (79.67), 2 R O’Callaghan, R Bennett 7:20.13 (79.52). Junior: 1 B Keohane, D Keohane 7:24.93 (78.66), 2 E Murray, B Rix 7:39.46 (76.18), 3 K Fallon, J Bennett 7:41.17 (75.89).

Sculling, Single – Senior: 1 J Keohane 7:31.69 (81.91 per cent), 2 D Neale 7:45.56 (79.47). Under-23: 1 A Harrington 7:33.35 (81.61), 2 D Quinlan 7:46.62 (79.29), 3 T Oliver 7:50.01 (78.72).

Lightweight Single – Under-23: 1 P O’Donovan 7:24.47 (85.50), 2 S O’Driscoll 7:33.88 (83.72), 3 B Beck 7:40.24 (82.57).

Junior: 1 D O’Malley 7:39.10 (80.59), 2 C Carmody 7:43.20 (79.88), 3 S Mulvaney 7:49.15 (78.87).

Women

Pair – Junior: 1 N Casey, E McCarthy 8:28.74 (76.27), 2 Clarke, Glover 8:36.22 (75.16), 3 O’Connor, Hickey 8:40.66 (74.52).

Sculling, Double – Senior: E Moran, M Dukarska 7:41.83 (81.05)

Single – Senior: S Puspure 7:56.20 (84.42)

Lightweight Single – Senior: 1 S McCrohan 8:21.77 (83.31), 2 O Hayes 8:30.20 (81.93), 3 C Jennings 8:31.52 (81.72).

Junior: 1 E Barry 8:32.96 (78.37), 2 E Lambe 8:43.60 (76.78), 3 E Hegarty 8:48.04 (76.13).