O’Donovan just misses out on a medal

Skibbereen’s Paul O’Donovan finished just outside the medals at yesterday’s World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.

Following an extremely fast A final of the lightweight single sculls, O’Donovan recorded a personal best time but Italy’s Marcello Miani won the race with the world’s best time and second-placed Lars Hartig of Germany also finished inside the old record in the tailwind conditions.

“It was a good race and I gave it everything I could, I am pleased to think I am fourth in the world, but, on the other hand, disappointed not to have pulled through to get a medal. Another fourth is, of course, frustrating,” said O’Donovan. However, there was some consolation for the UCD student as he finished ahead of Australian Perry Ward, a silver medal winner at the World Cup in Sydney and the Portuguese sculler Pedro Fraga, a European champion.

“Paul went out and followed the race plan, he rowed very well in particular with the wind and the conditions that he had in lane four” said Paul’s coach Dominic Casey.

“It would have been nice if he got a medal, but he beat the European champion which was a great achievement and a world class Australian sculler, which at 20 years of age is a great achievement.”

Meanwhile, the Irish lightweight double of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh finished second in the C sculls final. The women’s team of four finished fourth in their B final while the men’s team achieved a similar result.

Sanita Puspure raced shortly afterwards in the women’s single sculls semi-final. She had a good start and was in third place and managed to hold off the challenge from American sculler Genevra Stone to earn a final place.