Paul O’Donovan and Holly Nixon won their single sculls semi-finals and moved confidently into the A Finals of the World Rowing Junior Championships at Dorney Lake in England today.
O’Donovan, as has been his pattern in his two races so far, did not make the decisive move until the final quarter. When he drove for the line he had to fight it out with Andrii Mykhailov of Ukraine, and the Skibbereen man won this battle.
Nixon also won her semi-final in much the same way as she had won her heat - with a procession from the start which left the others following well behind.
World Rowing Junior Championships, Dorney Lake, England (Irish interest)
Men
Junior Single Scull – Semi-Final Two: 1 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 7:04.71, 2 Ukraine (A Mykhailov) 7:05.18, 3 Switzerland (A Maillefer) 7:06.03; 4 Zimbabwe 7:06.20, 5 Azerbaijan 7:11.51, 6 Belarus 7:16.93. Afloat.ie
Women
Junior Single Scull - Semi-final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (H Nixon) 7:44.21, 2 Latvia (E Gulbe) 7:49.16, 3 Italy (E Coletti) 7:51.31; 4 Japan 7:54.79, 5 Bulgaria 7:58.44, 6 Belgium 8:03.52. Afloat.ie