#Rowing: Paul O’Donovan maintained his dominance in the single sculls with a win over his brother, Gary, at the Skibbereen Grand League Regatta at the National Rowing Centre. Daire Lynch missed the race through illness. Shane O’Driscoll and Mark O’Donovan of the host club were emphatic winners of the pair, but Shane Mulvaney and David O’Malley had withdrawn from the heats because Mulvaney had suffered heart palpitations. He was taken the hospital for observation.

 Sanita Puspure won the single sculls final with over 11 seconds to spare over Monika Dukarska. Aileen Crowley of UCD, just back from Australia, was third.  The women’s pair was won by the UCC crew of Aifric Keogh and Aoife Feeley. UCD’s Ruth Gilligan and Eimear Lambe, with a reverse of the usual order which saw Gilligan move to stroke, did not do well in the heat and competed in the B Final.  

Skibbereen Grand League Regatta, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results; with Per Centage of Projected World Best Time)

Men

Eight – Division Two – A Final: 1 Queen’s (nov) 7:04.6. 3 Univ of Limerick (club two) 7:25.3, 6 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 7:40.6.

Pair – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (sen) 7:43.6 (80.46), 2 Commercial (sen) 7:50.8, 3 Enniskillen (jun 18A) 7:56.4; 4 Cork A (inter) 8:04.8 (76.95). C Final: 3 St Michael’s (club one) 8:10.1 (76.11).

Sculling

Single – A Final: 1 UCD (P O’Donovan; senior) 7:58.3 (81.78 per cent), 2 Skibbereen (G O’Donovan; sen) 8:03.4 (80.88), 3 UCD (A Goff; lightweight) 8:17.1 (78.66). B Final: 2 Skibbereen (K Mannix; intermediate) 8:21.6 (77.95); 5 Three Castles (R Quinn; jun 18A) 8:36.4 (75.71).

Women

Pair – A Final: 1 UCC (sen) 8:39.8 (79.06), 2 Cork (inter) 8:40.5 (78.96), 3 Fermoy (jun 18A) 8:47.1 (77.97). B Final: 3 Belfast BC (club one) 9:14.9 (74.07); 6 Cork A (jun 18A) 9:35.7 (71.39)

Sculling

Quadruple – Div Two, coxed – A Final: Cork (jun 18B) 8:34.6, 2 Lee A (club two) 8:47.4, 3 Carlow (jun 16), 4 Garda (club two) 9:00.0.

 1 Tralee (jun 16) 9:08.7. 2 Flesk Valley (nov) 9:16.0, 3 Cork (club two) 9:52.3

Single – A Final: 1 Old Collegians (S Puspure; sen) 8:33.5 (82.97), 2 Killorglin (M Dukarska; sen) 8:45.0 (81.14), 3 UCD (A Crowley; inter) 9:06.8 (77.91). B Final: 3 Col Iognaid (C Nic Dhonncha; jun 18A) 9:38.1 (73.69), 4 Lee Valley (E O’Mahony; club one) 9:45.6 (72.75).

#Rowing: The entry for the Irish Indoor Rowing Championships on Saturday (January 21^st) at the University of Limerick is over 200 up on last year, a new record for the event. There are 1202 entrants from 115 clubs, 63 of them Rowing Ireland clubs. There are over 40 entrants from overseas, with 39 from the United Kingdom. Races will run every five to 10 minutes and there are 1663 race slots in total. The event is compulsory for high performance rowers and Ireland Olympians Paul and Gary O’Donovan, Claire Lambe and Sanita Puspure are entered. There is no charge for spectators.

#Rowing: Mark O’Donovan was first and Shane O’Driscoll second at the Ireland Assessment at the National Rowing Centre today – ahead of Olympic medallist Gary O’Donovan, who was the third-fastest lightweight and fourth overall. Heavyweight competitor Sam McKeown, who recently broke six minutes for 2,000 metres on the ergometer, was third and Daire Lynch, who is just moving out of junior ranks, an impressive fifth. The tests were run over six kilometres. Paul O’Donovan, the top lightweight, has exams and did not attend.

The top woman was Sanita Puspure, with Denise Walsh almost a minute further back. The women’s pair of Aifric Keogh and Aoife Feeley won their battle with the under-23 unit of Amy Mason and Tara Hanlon, but by a small margin.

Irish Assessment, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results; Six Kilometres)

Saturday

Men

Single Sculls – Heavyweight: 1 S McKeown 23 mins 57 seconds, 2 D Lynch 24:15, 3 T Oliver 24:17. Lightweight: 1 Mark O’Donovan 23:53, 2 S O’Driscoll 23:56, 3 G O’Donovan 24:09.

Women

Single Sculls – 1 S Puspure 25:12, 2 D Walsh 26:07, 3 A Keogh, A Feeley (pair) 26:25, 4 T Hanlon, A Mason (u23 pair) 26:28, 5 E Hegarty 27:05.

Sunday

Men: 1 S McKeown, T Oliver 21:29. Women: Four 24:01, 2 Puspure 25:18, 3 Walsh 26:06, 4 Pair 26:50.

#Rowing: Paul and Gary O'Donovan won the doubles final at the Irish Open Regatta at the National Rowing Centre today. The Olympic silver medallists were given a tough race by Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan, who led coming up to half way, only to see the O'Donovan brothers find a new gear to move away and win well.

 The women's double went to the novel combination of Sanita Puspure (34) and Emily Hegarty (18). Even though well clear of the field, they powered home with impressive style.

Irish Open Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results; graded on top times from heats)

Men

Eight - 1 NUIG, Grainne Mhaol (sen) 6:08, 2 UCC, Shandon (sen) 6:17,  3 NUIG, Grainne Mhaol (u23) 6:21.

Four - 1 UCD (E Gleeson, R Thompson, S Mulvaney, D O'Malley; under-23) 6:34, 2 Trinity, UCD (senior) 6:40, 3 Commercial (junior) 6:57. 

Quadruple - 1 Clonmel, UCC, Shandon (J Casey, D Begley, R Byrne, D Lynch; u23) 6:28, 2 Queen's, Castleconnell (sen) 6:33, 3 Carlow, Clonmel, Cork (jun) 6:36.

Double - 1 Skibbereen, UCD (G O'Donovan, P O'Donovan; sen) 6:39, 2 Skibbereen (sen) 6:45, 3 Skibbereen (u23) 6:48; 7 Three Castles A (jun) 7:05.

Women

Eight - 1 NUIG (sen) 7:22.

Four - 1 Cork, Skibbereen (T Hanlon, A Mason, N Casey, E Cialis; u23) 7:37, 2 Queen's, Belfast BC, Methodist (sen) 7:42, 3 Commercial (jun) 7:51. 

Quadruple - 1 UCD, Queen's, Fermoy (E Lambe, S Bouanane, O Blundell, A Crowley; sen) 7:24, 2 Cork, Kenmare (jun) 7:42, 3 Lee Skibbereen (sen) 7:50.

Double - 1 Old Collegians, Skibbereen (S Puspure, E Hegarty; senior) 7:29, 2 Skibbereen (sen) 7:41, 3 Lee A (jun) 7:55; 9 UCD, Belfast (u23) 8:16. 

#Rowing: Paul O'Donovan won the final of the single sculls at the Irish Open, the first trial of the new season at the National Rowing Centre today. The World Champion in the lightweight single sculls did not have the fastest time in his heat, but only his Olympic crewmate and brother Gary tested him in the final. Gary slowed and virtually stopped with 250 metres to go, and though he resumed his challenge, his younger brother was on his way to the win. Shane O'Driscoll was third and Daire Lynch, who is just 18, fourth.

 Sanita Puspure was an emphatic winner of the women's single, while UCD won the women's and men's pairs.

Irish Open Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results)

Men

Pair - A Final: 1 UCD B (u23) 7:24.265, 2 Trinity (sen) 7:36.156, 3 NUIG (sen) 7:40.844. B Final: UCD A (u23) 7:44.499. C Final: 2 St Joseph's (jun) 8:08.83.

Single - A Final: 1 P O'Donovan (sen) 7:33.694, 2 G O'Donovan 7:36.616, 3 S O'Driscoll (sen) 7:38.710, 4 D Lynch (u23) 7:42.991, 5 F McCarthy (u23) 7:48.273, 6 C Beck (sen) 7:49.195. B Final: M O'Donovan 7:45.736. C Final: 3 D Begley (jun) 8:06.261.

Women

Pair - A Final: 1 UCD(sen) 8:12.88, 2 Cork Boat Club (u23) 8:19.72, 3 Fermoy (jun) 8:29.17. B Final: Commercial A (jun) 8:5023.

Single - A Final: 1 S Puspure (sen) 8:08.596, 2 D Walsh (sen) 8:26.816, 3 E Hegarty (u23) 8:40.582. B Final: M Cremen (jun) 8:53.36.

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure ended her Olympic programme in Rio de Janeiro with a win. The Ireland single sculler won the C Final, placing 13th overall. She had been very disappointed not to at least make the B Final, but she won this race well. Puspure got an early lead and held it, with Lina Saltyte of Lithuania the only competitor who kept pace with her until the closing stages.

Olympic Games Regatta, Rio de Janeiro (Irish interest; selected results)

Women

Single Sculls - C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:27.60, 2 Lithuania (L Saltyte) 7:30.38, 3 Sweden (A M Svennung) 7:32.54.

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure won her C/D semi-final to progress to the C Final at the Olympic Games regatta in Rio de Janeiro today. The 34-year-old single sculler was in control through the key stages and won by over 12 seconds from Michelle Pearson from Bermuda.

 Puspure was unfortunate to lose her chance of an A/B semi-final place when she was drawn in a very tough quarter-final. Kim Brennan and Duan Jingli, who finished ahead of the Ireland sculler in the quarter-final won the A/B semi-finals.  

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure just missed out on a semi-final place at the Olympic Games today. The 34-year-old was in a remarkably tough quarter-final, with World Champion Kimberley Brennan leading the others out and winning well. Seven-time Olympian Ekaterina Karsten tracked Brennan down the course, with Duan Jingli holding third. Puspure slipped into fourth and while she made a spirited challenge in the final stages, she just could not quite catch Karsten or the Chinese sculler.  

Alan Campbell qualified for the men's single semi-finals. The Coleraine man, competing for Britain, finished second in his quarter-final. He was just under five seconds behind the winner, Damir Martin of Croatia.

Olympic Games Regatta, Rio de Janeiro (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Single Sculls - Quarter-Final Four (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 2 Britain (A Campbell) 6:49.41.

Women

Single Sculls - Quarter-Finals - (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals):

Quarter-Final One: 1 New Zealand (E Twigg) 7:31.79, 2 Czech Republic (M Topinkova-Knapkova) 7:37.04, 3 Mexico (K Lechuga Alanis) 7:44.11.

Quarter-Final Two: 1 United States (G Stone) 7:27.04, 2 Switzerland (J Gmelin) 7:29.66, 3 Austria (M Lobnig) 7:35.37.

Quarter-Final Three: 1 Denmark (F Udby Erichsen) 7:33.24, 2  Zimbabwe (M Thornycroft) 7:34.00, 3 Canada (C Zeeman) 7:34.00.

Quarter-Final Four:  1 Australia (K Brennan) 7:26.86, 2 China (J Duan) 7:27.88, 3 Belarus (E Karsten) 7:28.03; 4 Ireland (S Puspure)  7:28.68, 5 Lithuania 7:38.39, 6 Argentina 7:56.61.

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure qualified a third Ireland boat for the Olympic Games today. The 34-year-old single sculler took the second of four Rio places at the Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne. Emma Twigg had her expected win in the event, and Puspure held fifth through 500 metres and half way. However, by the three-quarter mark the Ireland sculler was third behind Twigg and Fie Udby Erichsen, and she moved into second by the finish. Ekaterina Karsten took the third qualification place and Erichsen the final one.

Olympic Qualification Regatta, Lucerne, Switzerland (Irish interest; selected results)

Women

Single Sculls – Final (First Four Qualify for Olympic Games): 1 New Zealand (E Twigg) 7:21.87, 2 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:24.76, 3 Belarus (E Karsten) 7:25.94, 4 Denmark (F Erichsen)  7:26.47; 5 Ukraine 7:28.61, 6 Latvia 7:43.84.

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure has qualified for the final of the Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. The Ireland single sculler finished second in the semi-final behind Emma Twigg of New Zealand, with Elza Gulbe of Latvia taking the third qualification place. Twigg and Puspure were clear in the first and second places from early on, with Gulbe making third her own in the second half, well clear of the other three contenders, from Russia, Spain and Norway.

 Denmark’s Fie-Udby Erichsen of Denmark won the second semi-final, with Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus and Nataliya Dovgodko of Ukraine taking the other final places.

 The first four scullers in tomorrow’s final will book their places at the Olympic Games.  

Olympic Qualification Regatta, Lucerne, Switzerland (Irish interest; selected results)

Women

Single Sculls – Semi-Finals (Three to A Final) – Semi-Final One: 1 New Zealand (E Twigg) 7:36.75, 2 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:40.46, 3 Latvia (E Gulbe) 7:46.69. Semi-Final Two: 1 Denmark (F Erichsen) 7:37.09, 2 Belarus (E Karsten) 7:41.89, 3 Ukraine (N Dovgodko) 7:42.18