A gold medal for Tara Hanlon and Fiona Murtagh (above) and a bronze for Hugh Moore were the standout performances on the first day of the Memorial Paolo d’Aloja in Piediluco today.
The women’s pair came home just ahead of the Netherlands One crew, a good performance by Hanlon and Murtagh, the two representatives of an Ireland women’s sweep side which has been hit by injury and illness.
Twenty-three-year-old Moore stepped on to the podium in the lightweight single just months after taking a silver medal in the lightweight double at the World Under-23 Championships with Ciarán Purdy. The man who won gold in the lightweight single at the Under-23 Championships – Tibo Vyvey of Belgium – occupied the centre of the podium again in Piediluco.
Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle are a new combination in the men’s double. They started their season with a fourth place, and have a chance to improve that on the second day, on Sunday.
The women’s double of Zoe Hyde and Sanita Puspure were medal winners at the World Championships and would have expected better than their fourth placing. They came in just ahead of Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen, a crew which will row as lightweights as the season progresses.
There was also a new combination in the men’s four, which finished seventh.
Memorial Paolo d’Aloja Day Two (Selected results, Irish interest)
Men
Four – A Final: 7 Ireland 6:07.25
Double – A Final: 4 Ireland (D Lynch, P Doyle) 6:20.27. B Final: 1 Ireland (K Pazzaia, B Colsh) 6:26.61.
Lightweight Single Sculls – A Final: 3 Ireland (H Moore) 7:10.94
Women
Pair – A Final: 1 Ireland (T Hanlon, F Murtagh) 7:06.34.
Double – A Final: 4 Ireland One (Z Hyde, S Puspure) 6:57.47, 5 Ireland (A Casey, M Cremen) 6:54.85.