Sanita Puspure powers to opening victory at Tokyo Olympics

Puspure justified her favouritism but there was crushing disappointment for Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle who failed to make it through their heat of the men’s double.

Ireland’s Sanita Puspure. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

It took just over an hour for the full spectrum of Olympic emotions to be placed on display by Team Ireland’s first contributors to these Tokyo Games.

Sanita Puspure was the first of Ireland’s 116 athletes in action in the Japanese capital and the double world champion lived up to her rank and billing as a huge medal contender with a cruising win in her single sculls heat at the Sea Forest Waterway.