Impressive Ireland making presence felt at Europeans

Ireland rowers, from left, Emily Hegarty, Fiona Murtagh, Eimear Lambe and Aifric Keogh compete in their heat of the Women's Four the European Championships yesterday at Varese, Italy. Photo: Roberto Bregani/Sportsfile

Robert Treharne-Jones

April 10 2021 02:30 AM

Ireland’s rowers got off to a cracking start at the European Championships in Italy, with four crews already qualified for tomorrow’s finals, and three more in semi-final action today.

The women’s four, who have yet to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, were in fine form as they led their heat from start to finish. Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh, and Emily Hegarty went off the blocks at 45 strokes per minute but it was the new Russian combination that took the early lead, followed by Ukraine, with Ireland third.

As Hegarty drove her crew along at 38, they overhauled the Russians to take over the lead, and never looked back, crossing the line almost eight seconds clear of the field, in the fastest time of the day.

Aileen Crowley and Monika Dukarska have also booked their place in the final of the women’s pairs, but it was last year’s champions, Romania, who dominated the race. Crowley and Dukarska hung on to their tails, but the two crews were well clear of the field and, with two to qualify, there was no cause for drama.

Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne got a rude awakening in their opening heat of the men’s double sculls where the young new Serbian crew overhauled them in the second quarter to win. With only one pair to qualify directly, it forced Doyle and Byrne into the repechages later in the day, when they simply did enough to ensure a place in the semis.

The semi-finals also beckoned for Ireland’s two lightweight double sculls. In the men’s event, world champions Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, who are favourites for gold in the event, extended their lead over Ukraine and Spain all the way down the 2000m course.

But it was Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen who impressed in the women’s event behind the experienced Dutch double, Marieke Keijser and Ilse Paulis, the world silver medalists. The Netherlands qualified for the semis ahead of Ireland and third-placed Germany.

In the non-Olympic boat classes, Olympic silver medalist Gary O’Donovan came through the field to take second place behind Germany’s Joachim Agne in the lightweight men’s singles, and in the women’s event Lydia Heaphy led her heat from start to finish. Both scullers now have a chance at the medals tomorrow.