Eight of the nine Irish crews remain in contention for medal races after quarter-finals and repechages on the first day of the World Cup regatta in Lucerne. Two wins and a third place lifted three more boats into the mix.
Ross Corrigan (24) and Nathan Timoney (22) won their quarter-final of the men’s pair to move smoothly into the semis. Lithuania contended the lead, but the Ireland crew were six metres up by 1500 metres and covered the final 500 metres faster than the other crews.
The Ireland women’s lightweight double made a point in their repechage win. They had looked a little unlucky in their heat, where they lost out to New Zealand in the time-trialled event. Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen made up for it in the repechage with a clear-the-cobwebs win. They started with a high rating and then burned off Switzerland in the second 1,000 metres, though both to go the semi-finals.
Zoe Hyde (pictured) had a wonderful heat win, but it looked like it might all have been for nothing as she sat fourth in the quarter-final of the women’s single sculls with a third of the race to go. Just three boats would book spots in the A/B semi-finals and the Czech Republic had moved into clear second behind Lithuania II – and France’s Marie Jacquet was ahead of Hyde and looking good for third. Hyde pushed the button and climbed through the gears: her stroke rate hit 41 not long after 1500 metres. She moved clear of Jacquet but then had to cling on as the Frenchwoman came back at her. She did it, and her third-place finish puts her in with a shot at an A Final come Saturday.
Hugh Moore was involved in a frantic race for three places in the repechage of the lightweight single sculls. Those who landed those valuable spots made the A/B semi-finals, and Germany’s Arno Gaus led the field to the end. Moore fought it out with Austria’s Konrad Hultsch and Jamie Copus of the United States for the two other places. Coming to the line Hultsch and Copus reached extraordinary striking rates and finished second and third. Moore lost out. He finished fifth behind fourth-placed Murray Bales-Smith of South Africa. They compete in the C Final.
Ross Corrigan (24) and Nathan Timoney (22) won their quarter-final of the men’s pair to move smoothly into the semis. Lithuania contended the lead, but the Ireland crew were six metres up by 1500 metres and covered the final 500 metres faster than the other crews.
The Ireland women’s lightweight double made a point in their repechage win. They had looked a little unlucky in their heat, where they lost out to New Zealand in the time-trialled event. Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen made up for it in the repechage with a clear-the-cobwebs win. They started with a high rating and then burned off Switzerland in the second 1,000 metres, though both to go the semi-finals.
Zoe Hyde (pictured) had a wonderful heat win, but it looked like it might all have been for nothing as she sat fourth in the quarter-final of the women’s single sculls with a third of the race to go. Just three boats would book spots in the A/B semi-finals and the Czech Republic had moved into clear second behind Lithuania II – and France’s Marie Jacquet was ahead of Hyde and looking good for third. Hyde pushed the button and climbed through the gears: her stroke rate hit 41 not long after 1500 metres. She moved clear of Jacquet but then had to cling on as the Frenchwoman came back at her. She did it, and her third-place finish puts her in with a shot at an A Final come Saturday.
Hugh Moore was involved in a frantic race for three places in the repechage of the lightweight single sculls. Those who landed those valuable spots made the A/B semi-finals, and Germany’s Arno Gaus led the field to the end. Moore fought it out with Austria’s Konrad Hultsch and Jamie Copus of the United States for the two other places. Coming to the line Hultsch and Copus reached extraordinary striking rates and finished second and third. Moore lost out. He finished fifth behind fourth-placed Murray Bales-Smith of South Africa. They compete in the C Final.