Casey comes up just short with all-time great behind

SEÁN CASEY put one of the all-time greats behind him yesterday, but the Irish single sculler came up short of taking the top-two position which would have secured him and A or B Final place at the World Championships in Poznan in Poland.

The Kerryman finished third in his repechage, ahead of 43-year-old Jueri Jaanson, a multi-medalled veteran whose record in the two most recent Olympics is silver in the double scull in Beijing and in the single in Athens.

At the head of the field yesterday was the Olympic silver medallist in this event from Beijing, Ondrej Synek, who did what was expected and won. Casey got a good start, but found Argentina’s Ariel Suarez chasing Synek down the course and in no mood to yield the valuable second spot.

“The Argentinian had maybe an inch more a stroke,” said Ireland lead coach Adrian Cassidy. The South American had a superior boat speed in the middle part of the course and impressed Cassidy, who said he would be worth watching in the A/B semi-finals.

For Casey, who was “very disappointed” not to make this stage according to Cassidy, the next challenge is today’s C/D semi-final (10.42 Irish time). The Kerryman would expect to make it through to Friday’s C Final for places 13 to 18.

The legs, trunk and arms mixed coxed four gave a good account of themselves in their repechage, but missed out an A Final place. Canada and Australia fashioned an early lead over the field and eventually secured the two qualification spots, with Ireland third.

The trunks and arms double scull, with Vincent Culhane switching places with Karen Cromie and sculling in the stroke seat, finished fourth in their repechage and will compete in Friday’s B Final.

Italy and Britain disputed the lead in the closing stages, with Italy winning. Both went through to the A Final.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS(at Poznan, Poland): Day Three(Irish interest) Single Scull – Repechage Three(First two to A/B semi-finals; rest to C/D semi-finals): 1 Czech Republic (O Synek) 7:28.05, 2 Argentina (A Suarez) 7:32.27; 3 Ireland (S Casey) 7:38.98, 4 Estonia (J Jaanson) 7:44.89. Legs, Trunk and Arms Mixed coxed Four - Repechage One(First two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Canada 3:53.32, 2 Australia 4:02.03; 3 Ireland (E Patten, S Ryan, K du Toit, S Caffrey; cox: A Judge) 4:05.32, 4 Russia 4:05.83, 5 Poland 4:19.51. Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Scull – Repechage Two(First two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Italy (S Toscano, D Stefanoni) 4:46.2, 2 Britain (J Roberts, S Scowen) 4:48.53; 3 Belarus 4:59.39, 4 Ireland (K Cromie, V Culhane) 5:04.83.

Today's Programme(Irish interest, Irish times): 10:42– Men's Single Scull C/D semi-final (First three to C Final): 1 India; 2 Iraq; 3 Croatia; 4 Ireland (S Casey); 5 Chile.