Ireland qualifies two boats for Rio Olympic Games

Ireland qualified two boats for the Olympic Games at the World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette in France on Saturday.

The lightweight double sculls needed to finish in the top five in their B Finals and both achieved this in close races.

The men’s crew of Paul and Gary O’Donovan were in a dogfight to avoid sixth, and pipped Greece for the fifth place by .28 of a second.

Sinead Jennings and Claire Lambe led their race and secured third as the rest of the field gathered them in at the finish.

WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS
(at Aiguebelette, France)

Men's Lightweight Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Poland 6:20.25, 2 United States 6:20.55, 3 Austria 6:22.04, 4 Switzerland 6:22.34, 5 Ireland (P O'Donovan, G O'Donovan) 6:23.20; 6 Greece 6:23.48.

Women's Lightweight Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 China 6:59.31, 2 Poland 7:00.37, 3 Ireland (C Lambe, S Jennings) 7:00.67, 4 Russia 7:00.79, 5 United States 7:02.21; 6 Sweden 7:02.45.