Rowing World Championships: Ireland's three crews produced creditable performances on the first day of the World Championships in Eton, England, yesterday. Caroline Ryan and Seán Jacob finished third in their heats of the single sculls, and the men's four fourth in their heat. All must go again in tomorrow's repechages in the hope of landing places in the semi-finals.
Ireland's top two crews, the men's lightweight four (11.30) and women's lightweight double scull (10.18), go in heats today with real hopes of qualifying directly for the semis, but once the draw was made for yesterday's races it was clear the Irish were up against it.
In the fastest fours' heat, Canada flew through the early part of the race and led all the way to 1,500 metres, with the Irish crew of Cormac Folan, Seán O'Neill, Seán Casey and stroke man Alan Martin keeping in touch until halfway, but then fading back as eventual winners New Zealand and Germany came through to battle it out at the front. In an exciting finish, Canada was pushed into third and out of a qualification place.
Ireland's time of five minutes 56.29 seconds was the sixth fastest of the heats, but if they are to stay in the hunt for an A Final place they must qualify in the top three of a repechage tomorrow which features Australia, France and a powerful Czech Republic crew.
Jacob (32), competing for the first time in the single this year, came up against world champion Mahe Drysdale in his heat, and the New Zealander duly saw off all comers. Jacob produced a gutsy finish to take third in a sprint finish with France's Pierre-Jean Peltier (22).
The Irishman's reward, however, was an awkward repechage against Britain's Alan Campbell - the Coleraine man was a disappointing fifth in his heat - Switzerland's Andre Vonarburg and Finland's Jaakko Hasu. Two will qualify for the A/B semi-finals.
Ryan's story was similar: she was drawn in a heat with reigning world champion Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus, the most dominant athlete in the sport at the moment. She took silver at the Athens Olympics and has won every World Cup since. With Germany's Peggy Waleska also involved, the two qualification places were sealed.
Ryan impressed observers with her comfortable third place, but like Jacob she will have to perform in tomorrow's repechage, where Serbia's Iva Obradovic and Cuba's Maria Gonzalez Borroto will have their eyes on the two qualification spots.
As Gearoid Towey put it during the week, the lightweight four "don't do reps". While Britain and China will be no pushovers in today's heat, Towey and his crewmates should win and qualify directly for Friday's semi-finals.
Ni Cheilleachair and Jennings could take the same route in their heat - if they can overcome the reigning world silver medallists, Renee Hykel and Julia Nichols of the US.
The lightweight men's double of Richard Coakley and Tim Harnedy have hot crew Italy in their heat (10.36), but two go through.
