Irish pair Crowley and Dukarska secure qualification for 2020 Olympic Games

The W2 crew of Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley became the fourth Irish boat to qualify for Tokyo.

AILEEN CROWLEY AND Monika Dukarska have secured qualification for next summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo after clinching second place in their B final at the 2019 World Rowing Championships.

Rowing Ireland entered 11 crews to compete at this year’s championships in Linz with Olympic qualification a possibility for seven of the boats taking part this week.

Dukarska (Killorglin) and Crowley (OCBC) required a top 11 finish in Austria, having finished 6th in their A Final at the World Cup III in July and 5th in their B Final in the World Cup II, as part of the Irish Women’s Four crew.

They placed third in their A semi-final on Thursday and knew heading into this morning’s B final that a top-five finish would ensure their place in Tokyo this time next year.

World Rowing Championships

Congrats to Monika and Aileen who have qualified the Irish W2- boat for the Tokyo Olympics.

That’s the fourth Irish boat qualified!#wearerowingireland pic.twitter.com/EefibIIIPm
— Rowing Ireland (@RowingIreland) August 31, 2019

Yesterday saw Sanita Puspure also secure her ticket for next year’s Games in Tokyo, impressing in the women’s single sculls semi-final.

Her success followed that of the men’s pair of Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle in Austria, as they also qualified for the 2020 Games courtesy of their semi-final win on Friday morning.

Thursday witnessed Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy also clinch their place at the Olympics, winning their World Championship semi-final in Austria.

A successful week in Linz saw 21-year-old Katie O’Brien win Ireland’s first medal at the championships, as she claimed bronze in the PR2 W1x final.

Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey and Bernard Jackman try to identify how Ireland can get back on track after Twickenham.