Irish crews made a strong start to the U23 World Rowing Championships, with two boats qualifying directly for A Finals and three others progressing to the semi-finals following their heat performances. Challenging crosswind conditions on Thursday morning contributed to slower times across the board.
BW2x | Izzy Clements & Anna Keating
Izzy and Anna delivered an impressive comeback in their heat of the Women’s Double Sculls (W2x), finishing third to advance to Friday’s semi-finals. After trailing in fifth place at the 1000-metre mark, the duo had a strong push in the second half of the race, overtaking the crews from New Zealand and Latvia. They crossed the line in 7:06.40, finishing just behind Lithuania and posting a time fast enough to move forward into the semifinals.
Semi Final: Friday 25th July – 2:22pm IST (Lane 2)
BM2x | Martin O’Grady & Donagh Claffey
In a tightly contested heat of the Men’s Double Sculls (M2x), Martin and Donagh showed determination and pace to progress to Friday’s semi-finals. The pair led at the 500-metre mark and remained in the top three through 1000 metres. A late push narrowed the gap to Czechia to just 0.4 seconds, and they finished third in 6:23.89.
Semi Final: Friday 25th July – 2:34pm IST (Lane 6)
BM4- | O’Neill, Gorman, Dunleavy & McDonnell
The Irish Men’s Four (M4-) delivered a solid performance in their heat, maintaining third position behind Spain and Romania throughout. In the final 500 metres, they launched a sprint to close the gap on Spain to just half a length. Their time of 6:13.33 secured their place in Friday’s semi-finals.
Semi Final: Friday 25th July – 3:09pm (Lane 1)
BM4x | Keeley, McLoughlin, O’Sullivan, & Rafferty
The men’s quadruple scull finished sixth in their heat and will race in Saturday’s C Final. At the halfway mark, they were just two seconds behind the Greek crew but were unable to close the gap in the second half. They crossed the line in 5:59.47.
C Final: Saturday 26th July – 9:23am (Lane 3)
BLW1x | Sophia Monahan
Sophia delivered a strong performance in the Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x), finishing second in her heat to secure a place in Saturday’s A Final. At the 1000-metre mark, she was in third, but a powerful push in the final 500 metres saw her overtake Germany and cross the line in 7:52.82.
A Final: Saturday 26th July – 1:37pm IST (Lane 5)
BW1x | Holly Davis
Holly Davis delivered a strong performance in her heat of the Women’s Single Sculls (W1x), earning her place in Sunday’s A Final. After holding third for much of the race, she briefly dropped to fourth at the 1500 metre mark, less than a second off third. A strong final push saw her reclaim third from Germany, finishing in 7:39.70.
A Final: Sunday 27th July – 11:26am (Lane 1)
U23 World Championships Programme
Congratulations to all crews on a strong start to the U23 World Championships. We look forward to following the racing over the coming days. A special thank you to the coaching team for their continued support and guidance throughout the regatta.
