#Rowing: Paul and Gary O’Donovan won their repechage to secure a place in the semi-finals of the lightweight double sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Racice today. The Irish crew did not start well, but by halfway they were making their move and they led through the second half of the race. As they passed the grandstand, they came under pressure from the Ukraine, but they held firm and won by a length.
European Championships, Racice, Czech Republic, Day One (Selected Results; Irish interest)
Men
Lightweight Pair – Exhibition (Race for Lanes): 1 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:57.77, 2 Italy 6:59.82, 3 Russia 7:01.75, 4 Britain (J Cassells, S Scrimgeour) 7:03.39.
Lightweight Double Sculls – Heats (Winner to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechages) – Heat One: 1 France (P Houin, J Azou) 6:26.97. Heat Two: Germany (L Schaefer, J Osborne) 6:37.53.
Heat Three: 1 Poland 6:25.93, 2 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:32.15, 3 Russia 6:36.38, 4 Switzerland 6:40.60, 5 Austria. Heat Four: 1 Italy 6:30.77.
Repechage Three (First two to A/B Semi-Finals): 1 Ireland 6:34.33, 2 Ukraine 6:36.51; 3 Portugal 6:40.75, 4 Sweden 7:05.89.
Women
Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat One (First Three to Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (D Walsh) 7:44.85, 2 Denmark (A Runge Holmegaard) 7:49.49, 3 Poland (J Dorociak) 7:49.90; 4 Czech Republic 8:05.07, 5 Portugal 8:08.19. Heat Two: 1 Switzerland 7:42.510. Heat Three: 1 Sweden 7:39.52.
