Six Olympics qualified boats set for World Cup

The competition takes place in Lucerne from May 24th - 26th. 

Fintan McCarthy, left, and Paul O'Donovan of Ireland celebrate after winning gold in the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls Final A during the 2023 World Rowing Championships. Photo by Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile

Rowing Ireland has confirmed its team for this week's World Cup in Lucerne.

Nine Irish boats will participate in the competition, six of which have qualified for this summer's Olympic Games in Paris. 

With the Olympics just two months away, high performance director Antonio Maurogiovanni said the World Cup - held from May 24th - 26th - will be used to "get as much information as possible and achieve positive results there to bolster our preparations for Paris".

The competition takes on added significance for the six boats which qualified for the Games at last year's World Championships in Belgrade. The crews who were in the boats when they qualified are not guaranteed to occupy those seats for the Olympics. 

Following this week's Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, which was also held in Lucerne and saw the women's four become the seventh Irish boat to qualify, Rowing Ireland said it will "review the overall situation and soon finalise the official Olympic team".

On Tuesday in Lucerne, 22-year-old Queen's University Belfast rower Konan Pazzaia finished seventh in the men's single sculls final, falling short of his aim to become the first Irish rower to qualify for the Olympics in the category since 1992. "His near qualification at such a young age highlights his immense potential for the future," said Maurogiovanni.

Irish team for World Cup II (first six crews named are Olympics qualified)

Women’s pair: Fiona Murtagh (University of Galway BC), Aifric Keogh (Grainne Mhaol); Men’s pair: John Kearney (UCC), Ross Corrigan (Portora BC); Women’s double: Alison Bergin (Fermoy RC), Zoe Hyde (Killorglin RC); Men’s double: Brian Colsh (University of Galway BC), Andrew Sheehan (University College Cork RC); Lightweight women’s double: Margaret Cremen (University College Cork RC), Aoife Casey (Skibbereen RC); Lightweight men’s double: Paul O'Donovan (Skibbereen RC), Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen RC); Lightweight women’s single: Siobhán McCrohan (Tribesmen RC); PR2 men’s singles: Steven McGowan (Galway RC), Tiarnán O'Donnell (Lee RC)