ROWING: Ireland's first crews in action at the World Championships in Gifu in Japan yesterday were drawn in their heats against some of the best in their disciplines and despite good rows failed to make it directly through to the semi-finals.
The heavyweight four and the women's lightweight single scull will both go in tomorrow's repechages, and will have benefited from yesterday's action, where they both finished one place outside direct qualification.
The four of Alan Martin, Seán Casey, Seán Jacob and Cormac Folan have made a big impression in their first season together.
They made the A finals in the World Cup regattas at Eton and Munich - where they won a bronze medal - but missed out on an A-final place in Lucerne, suggesting their world position may be in the top 10 but outside the top six.
There were two places in the A/B semi-final on offer in yesterday's heat, but the Netherlands and Italy - both of whom will have every intention of making life difficult for the much-lauded British crew come the final - raced each other down the course and qualified comfortably.
Ireland won a mini-battle with Australia to take third place, three seconds behind second-placed Italy at the end of what was the fastest of the three heats.
Britain won their heat, but in the slowest time of the day.
"The four can be pleased enough with their row today," said Ireland team manager Mick O'Callaghan.
Ireland's time would have qualified them directly had they been in Britain's heat, and if they row well tomorrow they should make the semi-final by the "back door" of the repechage.
Niamh Ní Chéilleachair was drawn against the favourite, Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands, in her heat of the lightweight single scull, and also never looked like heading her.
The Offaly woman held a steady third behind van Eupen and Ismaray Marrero Arias of Cuba, who took the second qualification place.
Ní Chéilleachair competed in the lightweight double through the season and tomorrow's repechage should be a good chance for her to familiarise herself with racing in the single.
"Niamh did okay," said O'Callaghan. "She finished more or less where we expected."
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (in Gifu, Japan): Men - Open Four - Heat One (two directly to semi-final A/B): 1 Netherlands 5:50.39, 2 Italy 5:53.37; 3 Ireland (C Folan, S Jacob, S Casey, A Martin) 5:56.35, 4 Australia 6:00.13, 5 Korea 6:17.29, 6 Japan 6:17.41. Women - Lightweight Single Scull - Heat Two (two directly to semi-final A/B): 1 Netherlands (M van Eupen) 7:39.13, 2 Cuba (I Marrero Arias) 7:45.53; 3 Ireland (N Ní Chéilleachair) 7:47.69, 4 Tunisia (I Trimech) 8:02.07, 5 Indonesia (P Karoba) 8:05.61.
