IRISH OLYMPIC SILVER medalist and world champion Paul O’Donovan cruised into the semi-finals of the lightweight single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Florida this evening.
O’Donovan is defending the single sculls title he won last year due to brother Gary’s illness; had the elder O’Donovan been fighting fit, the siblings would instead have partaken in the double sculls as they did when they achieved silver at Rio 2016.
The 23-year-old saw off the challenge of Lars Wichert of Germany to win his quarter-final with relative ease following a now-trademark conservative start which saw him back in fourth after 500 metres.
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By the halfway mark, however, O’Donovan was on Wichert’s tail. With less than a kilometer to go, the Cork man powered on, eventually finishing a full five seconds clear of the German to reach tomorrow’s A/B semi-final. The Skibbereen RC man clocked a time of 6:56.990.
His Irish team-mate Sanita Puspure joins O’Donovan in her own last four after destroying the field in her single sculls quarter-final.
Puspure led from start to finish, eventually finishing 10 seconds clear of the Czech Republic’s Lucie Zabova.
There was disappointment, however, for Aileen Crowley and Aifric Keogh in the women’s pairs. Crowley and Keogh finished fourth, missing out on the two qualifying spots.
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O'Donovan and Puspure cruise into World Rowing Championships semis
IRISH OLYMPIC SILVER medalist and world champion Paul O’Donovan cruised into the semi-finals of the lightweight single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Florida this evening.
O’Donovan is defending the single sculls title he won last year due to brother Gary’s illness; had the elder O’Donovan been fighting fit, the siblings would instead have partaken in the double sculls as they did when they achieved silver at Rio 2016.
The 23-year-old saw off the challenge of Lars Wichert of Germany to win his quarter-final with relative ease following a now-trademark conservative start which saw him back in fourth after 500 metres.
By the halfway mark, however, O’Donovan was on Wichert’s tail. With less than a kilometer to go, the Cork man powered on, eventually finishing a full five seconds clear of the German to reach tomorrow’s A/B semi-final. The Skibbereen RC man clocked a time of 6:56.990.
His Irish team-mate Sanita Puspure joins O’Donovan in her own last four after destroying the field in her single sculls quarter-final.
Puspure led from start to finish, eventually finishing 10 seconds clear of the Czech Republic’s Lucie Zabova.
There was disappointment, however, for Aileen Crowley and Aifric Keogh in the women’s pairs. Crowley and Keogh finished fourth, missing out on the two qualifying spots.
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in their wake irish rowing Paul O'Donovan Rowing World Championships Sinita Puspure