After an impressive win in their first round heat this morning's failure by Irish rowers Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey to qualify for Sunday's final was a shock.
The pair, who were considered one of Ireland's best chance of a medal, were competing in the lightweight double sculls event.
With Towey in the stroke seat and Lynch in the bow, Ireland trailed behind a powerful French crew and a dogged Hungarian boat for much of the race. But they looked to have the beating of a Japanese crew until edged out by the narrowest of margins 20 meters from the line.
The two athletes were distraught after the race and declined to comment to media. They finished the race in 6:19.09, just behind the Japanese duo Kazushige Ura and Daisaku Takeda who crossed the line in 6:18.51.
However, there was some good news for Irish rowing with the qualification for the final by the lightweight coxless four crew of Paul Griffin, Niall O'Toole, Eugene Coakley and Richard Archibald.
Ireland crossed the line in third behind the "golden" Danish crew and a Dutch four. The Irish crew rose to the occasion to catch and pass a Russian crew in the last 500 metres.
Ireland will now contest Sunday's final.