#Rowing: Jake and Fintan McCarthy won their heat of the lightweight double sculls at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships in Plovdiv in Bulgaria this morning. Poland led out the crews and held the lead at halfway. But the twins from Skibbereen were already hunting them down, and had passed them by 1500 metres. They went on to win by two lengths, taking the one direct qualification spot for the semi-finals.

World Under-23 Day Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Four (First to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (F McCarthy, J McCarthy) 6:22.85; 2 Poland 6:27.26.

#ROWING: Paul O’Donovan finished fourth in the A Final of the lightweight single sculls at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships this morning at Varese in Italy. The winner was never in doubt from early on as Andrew Campbell of the United States made his exit from this grade by disappearing from the field and taking his second successive gold medal. Behind him Enes Kusku of Turkey continued his good form in the Championships by taking silver. The surprise came from Francesco Pegoraro of Italy, who took over in third in the third quarter. O’Donovan challenged but could not pass him.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships – Finals (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Ukraine 6:30.20, 2 Greece 6:33.06, 3 New Zealand 6:34.23, 4 Ireland (G O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:34.72, 5 United States 6:37.39, 6 Serbia 6:42.16.

Lightweight Single Sculls – A Final: 1 United States (A Campbell Jr) 6:54.49, 2 Turkey (E Kusku) 7:00.14, 3 Italy (F Pegoraro) 7:00.58; 4 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:02.32, 5 Hungary 7:02.68, 6 Belgium 7:09.71

#ROWING: Ireland’s Gary O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll finished fourth in the B Final of the lightweight double sculls, 10th overall, at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Varese in Italy this morning. The race was won by Ukraine, who set off fast and managed to hold out against a spirited challenge by Greece, with Ireland also in touch. New Zealand came into contention in the final quarter, nipping past Ireland to take third.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships – Finals (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Ukraine 6:30.20, 2 Greece 6:33.06, 3 New Zealand 6:34.23, 4 Ireland (G O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:34.72, 5 United States 6:37.39, 6 Serbia 6:42.16.

#ROWING: Ireland’s lightweight double scull of Gary O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll finished fifth in their semi-final at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Varese in Italy today. The German crew of Moritz Moos and Jason Osborne, who are the defending champions, left the rest of the crews in their wake and won well. O’Donovan and O’Driscoll put the Ukraine behind them by halfway, but could not make it into the top three which would have given them a place in the A Final.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Varese, Italy (Selected results; Irish interest)

Men

Four – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Croatia 6:09.17, 2 Belarus 6:10.60

3 China 6:11.76, 4 Serbia 6:14.24, 5 France 6:15.88, 6 Ireland (R Bennett, K Neville, F McQuillan-Tolan, R O’Callaghan) 6:20.33.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Germany (M Moos, J Osborne) 6:39.19, 2 Czech Republic (M Slavik, J Simanek) 6:42.83, 3 Italy (F Gherzi, N Forcellini) 6:42.84; 4 United States 6:44.96, 5 Ireland (G O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:50.83, 6 Ukraine 6:57.17.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Turkey (E Kusku) 7:11.73, 2 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:11.91, 3 Italy (F Pegoraro) 7:12.30; 4 Netherlands 7:15.25, 5 Germany 7:17.22, 6 Greece 7:29.74.

#ROWING: Ireland’s men’s four finished sixth in the B Final at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Varese in Italy this morning, placing 12th overall. Croatia won a good race where the lead changed a number of times. The newly-formed Ireland four kept in touch but were at the back of the pack.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Varese, Italy (Selected results; Irish interest)

Men

Four – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Croatia 6:09.17, 2 Belarus 6:10.60, 3 China 6:11.76, 4 Serbia 6:14.24, 5 France 6:15.88, 6 Ireland (R Bennett, K Neville, F McQuillan-Tolan, R O’Callaghan) 6:20.33.

#ROWING: Ireland’s men’s four finished sixth in the semi-final of the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Varese in Italy today. Romania won well and the other two A Final qualification places went to Spain and the United States, who held off Croatia’s challenge. France, who finished fifth, and Ireland were out of contention by the closing stages and dropped off the pace. Both are set for the B Final tomorrow.    

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Varese, Italy (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Four – Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Romania 5:56.94, 2 Spain 5:59.40, 3 United States 6:00.46; 4 Croatia 6:00.74, 5 France 6:09.41, 6 Ireland (R Bennett, K Neville, F McQuillan-Tolan, R O’Callaghan) 6:19.59.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Repechage Two (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals) 1 Greece (I Petrou, S Ntouskos) 6:32.85, 2 Ireland (G O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:34.86; 3 Spain 6:36.66, 4 Belarus 6:43.61, 5 Paraguay 6:54.52.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Quarter-Final One (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Turkey (E Kusku) 7:10.73, 2 Hungary (D Matyasovszki) 7:12.03, Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:22.19; 4 Bulgaria 7:27.25, 5 Slovakia 7:35.37, 6 Slovenia 8:03.76.

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Repechage One (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 New Zealand 8:00.05, 2 Germany 8:04,34; Ireland (D Walsh) Did Not Finish

#ROWING: The Ireland lightweight double scull of Gary O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll took their place in the semi-finals of the World Under-23 Rowing Championships this morning with a second-place finish in their repechage. Greece led virtually all the way, but Ireland moved from fourth to a clear hold on the second qualification place in the middle stages. They challenged the Greeks coming up to the line, finishing just over two seconds behind them.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Varese, Italy (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – Repechage Two (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals) 1 Greece (I Petrou, S Ntouskos) 6:32.85, 2 Ireland (G O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:34.86; 3 Spain 6:36.66, 4 Belarus 6:43.61, 5 Paraguay 6:54.52.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Quarter-Final One (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Turkey (E Kusku) 7:10.73, 2 Hungary (D Matyasovszki) 7:12.03, Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:22.19; 4 Bulgaria 7:27.25, 5 Slovakia 7:35.37, 6 Slovenia 8:03.76.

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Repechage One (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 New Zealand 8:00.05, 2 Germany 8:04,34; Ireland (D Walsh) Did Not Finish

#ROWING: Paul O’Donovan moved into the semi-finals of the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Varese in Italy by taking third place in his quarter-final this morning. Enes Kusku of Turkey and Daniel Matyasovszki of Hungary took off at pace early on and annexed first and second, while the UCD lightweight single sculler took it easier and held on to the last qualification place despite a late challenge from Grigor Manchev of Bulgaria.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Varese, Italy (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – Quarter-Final One (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Turkey (E Kusku) 7:10.73, 2 Hungary (D Matyasovszki) 7:12.03, Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:22.19; 4 Bulgaria 7:27.25, 5 Slovakia 7:35.37, 6 Slovenia 8:03.76.

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Repechage One (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 New Zealand 8:00.05, 2 Germany 8:04,34; Ireland (D Walsh) Did Not Finish

#ROWING: Ireland’s Denise Walsh had an unfortunate end to her campaign in the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Varese, Italy this morning. The Skibbereen woman ended up in the water at about 700 metres after a capsize in the repechage of the lightweight single sculls. Walsh was pushing for a top-two place, which would have put her in the semi-finals. New Zealand and Germany took these spots.

#ROWING: Ireland’s Gary O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll produced a dramatic sprint finish but just missed out on direct qualification for the A/B Semi-Finals at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Varese in Italy this morning. The France lightweight double of Pierre Houin and Eloi Debourdeau powered away from the rest early on and won well, while Italy and Ireland contended for the other qualification spot. Italy seemed to have moved clear but O’Donovan and O’Driscoll sprinted to the line and were just .48 of a second behind Italy at the line.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Varese, Italy, Day Two (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Three (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to Repechage): 1 France (P Houin, D Debourdeau) 6:34.72, 2 Italy (F Gherzi, N Forcellini) 6:37.86;

3 Ireland (S O’Driscoll, G O’Donovan) 6:38.34, 4 Serbia 6:54.08, 5 Poland 7:04.23,

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to Repechage): 1 Cyprus 8:04.62, 2 France 8:06.67; 3 Britain 8:13.89, 4 Ireland (D Walsh) 8:22.48, 5 Russia 8:26.00.