Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy progress but shock for French foes

SEMIS BOUND: Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan of Ireland. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy row in the semi-final of the men’s lightweight double sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade after cruising to victory in their quarter-final race yesterday.

The Skibbereen duo led from the off and qualified ahead of Italy's Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares. Their time was fastest across the four quarter-final races.

Today, they will row against Mexico, Poland, Norway, Belgium and the Czech Republic in the semi-final with the top three boats getting a place at the Paris Olympic Games, as well reaching as the World final. 

There was a shock in the second quarter-final, where France's Hugo Beurey and Ferdinand Ludwig, who beat O’Donovan and McCarthy at World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne earlier in the season, finished fifth and crashed out. The French duo are now out of the running for Paris.

Birthday boy Nathan Timoney qualified for the men's pairs semi-final with partner Ross Corrigan. The Enniskillen rowers finished second in their quarter-final, though they registered the fastest final 500m. World Cup III bronze medallists Andrin Gulich and Roman Roeoesli from Switzerland took the win.

The men's double of Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch also go through to their semi after placing second in yesterday's quarter-final. The crews from Ireland and Germany went back and forth through the middle of the race, with Ireland pulling ahead in the final quarter to finish second behind Stefan Broenink and Melvin Twellaar of the Netherlands. On Friday they race Norway, Spain, Croatia, New Zealand and Germany for a spot in the A Final.

Skibbereen's Jake McCarthy finished fifth in the quarter-final of the lightweight men's scull, sending him through to the C/D Semi-final. Just the top three scullers progressed to the A/B Semi. He races again this afternoon.

With windy conditions forecast for today, the race schedule has been moved forward to allow for fair competition.