It was a disappointing day for Ireland yesterday at the World Championship at St Catharines near Toronto in Canada. Both Irish boats missed out on semi-final qualification with Albert Maher finishing third in the single sculls behind Egypt and Belgium. The first two boats qualified.

In the women's double sculls Debbie Stack and Mary Hussey also failed to make it through when they finished fourth in their event where the first three boats went through. Britain won the event with Romania second and Denmark claiming third place three seconds in front of the Irish pair.

Maher dropped a length behind the Belgian boat at the 1,000 metre mark and could not make up the gap in the final kilometre, finally finishing two lengths adrift. The result means that Maher will have to wait until next year to have another attempt at qualification for the Olympic Games in Sydney. At best he can now finish 19th in the world.

Stack and Hussey faired a little better and their best placing now is 13th in the world.