Six Irish crews qualify for the World Cup

Ireland had an excellent start to the World Cup in Lucerne on Friday. Six of the seven crews qualified directly from their heats, with Sanita Puspure and Paul O 'Donovan and Gary O' Donovan winning theirs.

The first leg of the lightweight double was an exciting race. There were only two places in the semifinals and the O & # 39; Donovans scored a start taking the lead from the start. They held a small margin on the nearest Polish rivals halfway. Then the race became interesting. Poland took the lead – and Austria came with them. The three boats were together in the last quarter, before Ireland moved decisively.

Poland missed a repechage match, a very satisfying result for Ireland's double lightweight beaten by Poland at the first World Cup in Belgrade

Puspure gained his heat from the skiffs of majestic way. Only the winner qualified directly for the semifinals, and Puspure took the lead early and continued to build against her dangerous rival Kara Kohler of the United States. The American understood the message and calmed himself in the last quarter. Puspure won 14 seconds – and still set the fastest time of the 22 scullers in all four races.

Two Irish teams qualified for the quarter-finals. Shane O 'Driscoll and Mark O' Donovan took second place in their series. One of the four boats would not qualify, and it would not be Croatia – the Sinkovic brothers won the race with a show from start to finish. Australia and Brazil fought for the next two places with Ireland, but O & # 39; Donovan and O & # 39; Driscoll placed themselves in a second place and maintained it until At the end.

Ireland Two, Patrick Boomer and Andy Harrington, showed good pace and good race management to finish third in their series and clinch a quarter-final spot. With only one missing boat, the key battle was at the back of the pack, and Ireland judged it well, achieving the fastest quarter-final of the five boats and eliminating Croatia and the China in the fast end.

The double of Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley finished second behind the dominant American crew of Meghan O 'Leary and Ellen Tomek. In the early and middle phases, Ireland was solidly in the top two, but China produced a blazing finish and finished less than a half second behind them.

Philip Doyle did well on his first outing for Ireland at this level. He actually led Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale through 500 meters of the skiffs. Even when Drysdale took over, the man from Ulster did not lose contact. He finished third, a comfortable qualifier for the quarter-finals

Aifric Keogh and Tara Hanlon, a new pair, finished sixth in their series and will be competing in the repechage.

Lucerne World Cup, Day 1 (Irish selection, selected results)

Men

Pair – Second inning (First quarter to quarter-final, relegation to quarter-final or E-finals ): Spain 6: 40.29; 3 Ireland Two (P Boomer, P Harrington) 6: 45.74

Sixth (first to quarter-final three, quarter-final remainder or E final): 1 Croatia 6: 37.66, 2 Ireland 1 (O & # 39; Donovan), S O 'Driscoll) 6: 40.95

Light Pair Two – First inning (first two semi-finals A / B, repechage rest): 1 Ireland (G O & # 39; Donovan, P O & # 39; Donovan) 6: 17.43, 2 Austria 6: 17.79; 3 Poland 6: 17.91.

Single skiers – First round (first quarter to quarter final, quarterfinal remainder or E final): 1 New Zealand (M Drysdale) 6: 52.98; Ireland (P Doyle) 6: 55.18.

Women

Pair – Second inning (Premiere in one final, rest in Repêchage): 1 Canada 7: 13.98; Ireland (A Keogh, T Hanlon) 7: 32.49.

Pair Two – Round Two (Three First Semi-Finals A / B, Rest at Repetitions): 1 United States 6: 58.58, 2 Ireland (A Crowley, M Dukarska) 7: 03.05.

Single skiers – First round (first semi-final A / B, rehearsal rest): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7: 26.51; 2 United States 7: 40.98.