Skibb rowers start off international season with a medal
GARY and Paul O’Donovan won bronze medals at Rowing World Cup I in Belgrade on Sunday morning, going one better than the same regatta in 2017 when they finished in fourth place.
The Skibbereen brothers finished third in the A final of the men’s lightweight double sculls, just missing out on silver in a photo-finish with the Belgians.
Third at the halfway point and in second place with 500 metres to go, the O’Donovans finished behind winners Poland and Belgium, finishing one tenth of a second behind the Belgians in 6:14.100.
Afterwards, Gary told World Rowing: ‘Good race, we planned to go off really hard and we made a big push at 1000m to keep up with everyone. Then at 100m to go I shouted at Paul to go for it but the others pulled away.’
Here's that tight finish to the men's lightweight double final at World Cup I this morning as O'Donovan brothers took bronze after being edged out of silver. @skibbrowing @RowingIreland @SouthernStarIRL pic.twitter.com/JabWV5x5OL
— Kieran McCarthy (@KieranMcC_SS) June 3, 2018
Skibbereen Rowing Club’s Denise Walsh and Margaret Cremen finished sixth in the B final of the women’s lightweight double sculls for a 12th place finish overall – an encouraging result for this new partnership.
Skibb rower Emily Hegarty and Aifric Keogh came in third in the B final of the women’s pair for a fantastic ninth place overall placing.
Sanita Puspure won a terrific silver in the A final of the women’s lightweight single sculls, just finishing ahead of Austria.
