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Sanita Puspure after her victory this morning. Morgan Treacy/INPHO

Medal hopes remain on course as Sanita Puspure eases to Olympic semi-finals

Puspure won her quarter-final in the women’s single sculls in Tokyo this morning.

SANITA PUSPURE’S OLYMPIC medal hopes remain on course as she eased into the semi-finals of the women’s single sculls this morning. 

Puspure’s quarter-final was brought forward to this morning with inclement weather expected tomorrow, but the Cork rower eased to victory ahead of Kara Kohler of the United States in a time of 7:58.30.

A top-three finish was all that was necessary to qualify, but Puspure secured first place with a strong finish, reeling in Kohler in the third quarter of the race and stroking clear in the closing 500 metres. 

Her semi-final is slated for next Wednesday morning. 

“The start was messy again so I have to work on that”, Puspure told RTÉ post-race. “This is my first Olympic semi-final which is a step forward from the last two Olympics.

“I just need to relax. Too eager, and when you’re tense it is not as smooth as you want to and it’s hard to pick up from there.”

Puspure’s result continued a fine morning on the water for the Irish rowers: third-place repechage finishes for women’s pair Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley and lightweight pair Aoife Casey and Margret Cremen secured their progression to the semi-finals.

Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne, however, missed out on the medal race in the men’s double sculls with a sixth-place finish in their semi-final. 

Results 

Women’s Single Sculls 

1. S PUSPURE (IRELAND) 7:58.30 

2. K KOHLER (USA) 7:59.39 

3. Y JIANG  (CHINA) 8:00.01

4. J ARSIC (SERBIA) 8:09.37

5. A ALONSO (PARAGUAY) 8:29.80

6. WYW HUNG (HONG KONG) 8:36.37

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