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#Rowing: Denise Walsh took silver for Ireland at the World Cup Regatta in Belgrade this morning. The Skibbereen woman, who had won her heat with a wonderful finish, came through the field to take second behind Patricia Merz of Switzerland. Merz had established a clear lead with a quarter of the race to go, and Walsh lay in fourth at this stage. But she upped her rate, moved into medal position and then passed Poland’s Joanna Dorociak to take a second medal for Ireland. The men’s lightweight pair had earlier taken gold.

“In the race, I focused on giving a bit of reserve toward the end and focusing on the sprint. I didn’t realize how close everyone was to me, especially Patricia. Now focusing on the European Champs in the single,” Walsh told worldrowing.com.

World Cup Regatta, Belgrade (Selected results; Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Pair – Final: 1 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:46.65, 2 Russia 6:47.67, 3 Britain (J Cassells, S Scrimgeour) 6:48.40.

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – A Final: 1 Switzerland (P Merz) 7:52.30, 2 Ireland (D Walsh) 7:56.24, 3 Poland (J Dorociak) 7:59.22.

 

Published in Rowing

Tom Dolan, Solo Offshore Sailor

Even when County Meath solo sailor Tom Dolan had been down the numbers in the early stages of the four-stage 2,000 mile 2020 Figaro Race, Dolan and his boat were soon eating their way up through the fleet in any situation which demanded difficult tactical decisions.

His fifth overall at the finish – the highest-placed non-French sailor and winner of the Vivi Cup – had him right among the international elite in one of 2020's few major events.

The 33-year-old who has lived in Concarneau, Brittany since 2009 but grew up on a farm in rural County Meath came into the gruelling four-stage race aiming to get into the top half of the fleet and to underline his potential to Irish sailing administrators considering the selection process for the 2024 Olympic Mixed Double Offshore category which comes in for the Paris games.