#Rowing: The Ireland team for the World Rowing Championships has been weakened by the non-availability of Gary O’Donovan through illness. The Skibbereen man formed the lightweight double with his brother Paul which took silver at the Olympic Games in 2016. Their 2017 campaign brought them silver at the European Championships and silver and bronze in World Cup regattas. Paul O’Donovan will now defend his World Championship title in the lightweight single sculls at this year’s regatta, which begins on September 24^th in Sarasota-Bradenton in Florida.

 Gary O’Donovan will travel to the Championships as a spare.

 Ireland Team for World Rowing Championships, Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, September 24^th-October 1^st:

 Men

 Pair: F McQuillan-Tolan, P Boomer. Lightweight Pair: M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll. Lightweight Single Sculls: P O’Donovan

 Women

 Pair: A Crowley, A Keogh. Single Sculls: S Puspure. Lightweight Single Sculls: D Walsh.

#ROWING: The Ireland women’s pair of Leonora Kennedy and Lisa Dilleen pulled out of the repechage at the World Cup in Lucerne today because of injury. The race gave them a chance to qualify directly for the A Final, but Kennedy has a sore back and, according to Ireland high performance director Morten Espersen, it would have been unwise for her to compete.