#ROWING: Paul O’Donovan won the B Final of the lightweight single sculls at the World Cup Regatta in Aiguebelette in France this morning. The UCD man was fourth at 500 metres but headed the field in the final quarter and moved clear to win well and secure seventh overall.

The women’s pair of Leonora Kennedy and Lisa Dilleen finished third in their B Final, ninth overall. New Zealand’s Louise Trappitt and Rebecca Scown – who won the A Final at the first World Cup in Sydney – were impressive winners of this race, while Ireland and Canada battled for second, well ahead of Germany One, Britain Two and France.

The Ireland lightweight women’s double scull of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh finished their first regatta together as a crew fifth in the B Final, 11th overall. China Two won from the United States, Australia and Denmark while behind them Ireland outpaced Brazil all the way down the course.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day Three (Irish interest, selected results)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:07.46, 2 Azerbaijan (J Afandiyev) 7:08.23, 3 Britain (Z Lee-Green) 7:10.55, 4 France 7:13.96, 5 Algeria 7:17.64, 6 Switzerland 7:19.68.

Women

Pair – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 New Zealand (L Trappitt, R Scown) 7:10.55, 2 Canada (N Mastracci, S Grainger) 7:15.16, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:16.53, 4 Germany 7:24.64, 5 Britain 7:26.55, 6 France 7:27.64.

Lightweight Double Scull – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 China Two (Huan Zhang, Le Chen) 7:11.20, 2 United States (D Karz, M Sechser) 7:12.17, 3 Australia (E Flecker, A McNamara) 7:13.42, 4 Denmark 7:14.02, 5 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:16.71, 6 Brazil 7:23.33.

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#ROWING: Ireland’s Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy finished fifth in the pairs’ semi-final at the World Cup Regatta in Aiguebelette today. Three United States crews drawn from their eight took the qualification spots with Canada – also a crew drawn from the country’s eight – fourth. Dilleen and Kennedy tried to break into the dominant leading group but could not.

The lightweight women’s double of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh stuck gamely to their task in their semi-final, but finished sixth. China One, Sweden and Britain’s Kat Copeland and Imogen Walsh collared the three qualification spots, with Copeland and Walsh judging their finish well to win.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day Two (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Men

Single Sculls – D Final (Places 19 to 23): 1 Bulgaria 7:14.01, 2 Ireland (J Keohane) 7:16.48, 3 China 7:19.41.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Germany Two (J Schoemann-Finck) 7:00.71, 2 Bulgaria (V Nedelcho) 7:03.69, 3 France (D Piqueras) 7:04.23; 4 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:06.99, 5 Switzerland One 7:14.8, 6 Algeria 7:21.36. C Final (places 13 to 18): 1 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan) 7:17.11, 2 Tunisia One 7:17.40, 3 Switzerland Two 7:19.58.

Women

Pair – A/B Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final):

1 United States Three (V Opitz, M Musnicki) 7:02.27, 2 United States One (M Kalmoe, K Simmonds) 7:02.33, 3 United States Four (A Polk, L Schmetterling) 7:04.23; 4 Canada 7:07.94, 5 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:16.80, 6 France 7:32.46.

Double Sculls – C Final (Places 13, 14): 1 France 7:12.84, 2 Ireland (M Dukarska, E Moran) 7:20.78.

Lightweight Double Sculls – A/B Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Britain (I Walsh, K Copeland) 7:05.84, 2 China One (Tianyu Teng, Wenyi Huang) 7:07.25, 3 Sweden (C Lilja, E Fredh) 7:08.90; 4 Australia 7:13.07, 5 China Two 7:13.17, 6 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:14.79.

#ROWING: Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy qualified directly for the A/B semi-finals at the World Cup Rowing regatta in Aiguebelette in France this morning. The Ireland crew, which had finished fourth at the European Championships, knew a place in the top three of their heat would be enough to see them through without the need for a repechage. They were in the top three, with Canada and United States Two through the key parts of the race, but it was Canada which finished best to win narrowly from United States Two.  

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day One (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heats (Time Trials; First Two Directly Through to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage) – Heat One: 1 China (Tiexin Wang) 7:02.36, 2 France (D Piqueras) 7:07.64; 5 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan) 7:20.78

Heat Three: 1 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:11.34, 2 Britain (Z Lee-Green) 7:15.60.

Women

Pair – Heat Two (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada (N Mastracci, S Grainger) 7:13.29, 2 United States Two (G Luczak, C Lind) 7:13.87, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:18.15; 4 Germany Two 7:32.77, 5 China Two 7:37.06.

Pararowing – Arms and Shoulders Men’s Single Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 5 Ireland (T Kelly)

#ROWING: Ireland’s Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy put in an excellent showing in the A Final of the women’s pair at the European Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia today, finishing a close-up fourth. In a very fast race the Ireland crew, formed earlier this year, contended for third with the Netherlands for the final quarter of the race. The Dutch had been up with the leaders early on but as Britain moved clear in the lead and Romania secured second, Ireland pushed the Netherlands all the way to the line.

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

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.

#ROWING: Ireland’s Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy qualified for the A Final of the women’s pair at the European Rowing Championships in Belgrade in Serbia today. The first two boats in this repechage qualified directly and Ireland had taken a clear lead by halfway. Germany, in their own battle for second with the Czech Republic, pushed the Irish in the second half, but Dilleen and Kennedy held on to win by just over a length.

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

#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: Leonora Kennedy and Lisa Dilleen won again at the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja international regatta in Piediluco this morning. The Ireland pair put four Italian crews behind them to match their win on Saturday. The Ireland double of Eimear Moran and Monika Dukarska slipped back one place on yesterday. They finished fourth in their final, behind two Italian crews and the Belgian crew of Jeanne Ghuysen and Marine Lewuillon.

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

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; 4 Ireland (Moran, Dukarska) 7:30.78.

#ROWING: A relatively good 2013 for Irish international rowing will bring practical benefits this year. Five rowers, three more than last year, will receive funding from The Irish Sports Council under the 2014 International Carding Scheme. Sanita Puspure and Claire Lambe have again hit the mark: Puspure qualifies for €20,000 as a world class category athlete and Lambe receives €12,000 as an international class competitor. The two are joined this year by Paul O’Donovan, Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska, who will also be granted €12,000 as international class athletes.

O’Donovan won a medal at the World Under-23 Championships in 2013, while the women’s double sculls of Dukarska and Kennedy finished 10th at the World Championships. This position would secure Olympic qualification for an Ireland boat if it were reproduced at the World Championships next year.

#ROWING: The Afloat Rowers of the Month for August are Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska. The Enniskillen woman, who had rowed and won medals with Britain, and her Killorglin teammate only began to work together earlier this summer, yet they formed a women’s double which finished a creditable 10th at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea. As preparations for the new season begin, this crew gives hope that Ireland rowing may begin to gather momentum again on the world stage.

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 2013. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2013 champions list grow.

#WRChamps: Ireland had a good finish to its campaign in the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea this morning. The new women’s double scull of Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy took fourth in their B Final, tenth overall in this Olympic-class event. Meghan O’Leary and Ellen Tomek of the United States won the contest at the head of the field with Russia and the Ukraine, and the Irish won their battle with Italy and Korea. Italy pushed hard at the 1500-metre mark; Kennedy and Dukarksa saw them off with a good final quarter.

World Rowing Championships, Chungju, Korea, Day Eight (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 United States (M O’Leary, E Tomek) 6:56.05, 2 Russia (E Potapova, M Kraskilnikova) 7:01.07, 3 Ukraine (A Kravchenko, O Buryak) 7:03.34, 4 Ireland (M Dukarksa, L Kennedy) 7:06.80, 5 Italy 7:09.04, 6 Korea 7:11.75.