#Rowing: Sanita Puspure punched in an outstanding performance as she won her heat of the single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv in Bulgaria. The Ireland sculler led off the start and gave her opponents no chance to challenge her for the one semi-final qualfication place on offer. She had a clearwater lead by 500 metres and eventually won by over 14 seconds from Fie-Udby Erichsen of Denmark.
Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley looked good in the early stages of their heat of the women’s double sculls, but the race got away from them in the second 1,000 metres and they finished sixth. Canada and Germany were clear leaders through the middle of the race and looked set to take the two qualification spots for the semi-finals. The Netherlands pushed up in the final third of the race and took out Germany, who dropped back to fourth.
World Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Day Two (Irish interest)
Men
Lightweight Quadruple Sculls – Heat Two (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Italy 5:48.03; 3 Ireland (F McCarthy, R Ballantine, J McCarthy, A Goff) 5:53.43.
Women
Double Sculls – Heat One (First Two to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Canada 6:54.02, 2 Netherlands 6:55.57; 6 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 7:08.79.
Single Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:25.78; 2 Denmark 7:39.93.
