Bronze for O'Donovan and McCarthy at rowing World Cup

Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh also claimed bronze in the women's pair.

Sun, 26 May, 2024 - 15:27

PJ Browne

Ireland claimed four medals at the second rowing World Cup of the year, two of them in Olympic events. With the Games just two months away, and the crews for six of the seven qualified Irish boats yet to be named, the competition in Lucerne was of real consequence.

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, who aim to defend their lightweight men's double sculls title in Paris, claimed bronze in the event. It was a race was won by Italian duo Gabriel Soares and Stefano Oppo with Jan Schaeuble and Raphael Ahumada taking silver. The Italians started fast, moving into a two-second lead by 500m, and would not be caught. They won by 1.05 seconds from the Swiss with the Cork rowers, who had been in second for the first 1000m, just 0.18 behind in third.

Ireland’s Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh celebrate winning with their bronze medals. Picture: ©INPHO/Detlev Seyb

In the women's pair, Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh, claimed their second World Cup bronze medal of the year. The Irish duo started well but had slipped to fourth by halfway. They managed to find their rhythm once again and overtook the Greek crew to take a podium spot. It was a race won by the Netherlands who finished just under four seconds behind Australia with Ireland a further five behind. At the Tokyo Olympics, Murtagh and Keogh were part of the women's four which claimed bronze. They finished fourth in the pair at last year's World Championships to qualify for this summer's Olympics.

In the women's double, Alison Bergin and Zoe Hyde finished fourth in a race won by the USA, while Australia claimed silver and Norway the bronze. Bergin and Hyde lagged just under three seconds the Norwegians. Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey finished fifth in the lightweight women's double while John Kearney and Ross Corrigan were sixth in the men's pair. Brian Colsh and Andrew Sheahan won the B final of the men's double.

On Saturday, Siobhan McCrohan won gold in the lightweight women's single sculls, a non-Olympic class event, while Limerick's Tiarnan O'Donnell - competing in his first international para-rowing event - won silver in the PR2 men's single sculls.

All smiles😁😁😁
Bronze medals for the boys!!
Well done Paul, Fintan and Coach Casey👏🏼
World Cup 2 over and out 🇨🇭✅#goskibb #skibbrowing #goireland #worldcup2 pic.twitter.com/mZkeeBH6Vg
— Skibbereen Rowing (@skibbrowing) May 26, 2024