SANITA PUSPURE SAFELY progressed through to the quarter-finals of the Women’s single sculls on the opening day of the Rio Olympics.

The 34-year-old Irish rower produced a strong performance in difficult conditions at the Lagoa Stadium, with a strong cross wind and choppy waters complicating the task.

But Puspure, who rows out of the Old Collegians club, made no mistake in Lane 5 as she comfortably finished in second behind race winner Carling Zeeman of Canada.

A time of 9:11.45 sees her advance to Tuesday’s quarter-finals.

With three to go through, Puspure was quickly out of the blocks and she and Zeeman battled for the early lead until the half-way stage of the 2,000 metre distance.

As rowers struggled to steer in a straight line, Puspure dropped back into third down the final stretch but finished powerfully to regain second place from Egypt’s Nadia Negm.
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