Double gold for Ireland was the climax of an historic weekend at the world championships in Bulgaria where Sanita Puspure and the O’Donovan brothers finally reached the top of the podium.

Ireland’s rowers have made history at the World Championships in Bulgaria, where Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty have become the first Irish women’s pair to qualify for a world final.

So near and yet so far was the story for Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey at the World Championships yesterday in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where they missed a semi-final place by the narrowest of margins.