LAST UPDATE | 14 Aug 2022

IRELAND’S AOIFE CASEY narrowly missed out on a European Championship medal as she finished fourth in the lightweight women’s single sculls rowing final.

Casey’s was the first of four Irish boats in medal contention at Munich’s Olympic Regatta Centre on Sunday morning.

The 23-year-old fought her way into the race for the medals with a determined push over the second 1000m, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to close the gap on the leaders.

The Skibbereen rower, who is coached by her dad Dominic, finished in 8:11.68 — 1.48 seconds outside the medals.

Romania’s Ionela Cozmiuc won gold in 8:04.41, Zoi Fitsiou of Greece won silver in 8:09.21, with Martine Veldhuis of the Netherlands taking bronze ahead of Casey in 8:10.20.

In the lightweight women’s double sculls final, Lydia Heaphy and Margaret Cremen threw down a strong late challenge but also agonisingly missed out on the medals.

Heaphy and Cremen had reigning Olympic champions Valentina Rodini and Federica Cesarini in their sites over the final 500 metres, but the Italians did just enough to hold on and win bronze by 0.64 seconds with Ireland in fourth.

Great Britain’s Emily Craig and Imogen Grant won gold, with France’s Laura Tarantola and Claire Bove taking silver.

Earlier on Sunday, Steven McGowan and Katie O’Brien finished fourth in the para-rowing PR2 mixed double sculls final, won by Ukraine’s Svitlana Bohuslavska and Iaroslav Koiuda.

The Ukranians took gold in 8:53.72 ahead of Perle Bouge and Stephane Tardieu of France (8:57.95) and Poland’s Jolanta Majka and Michal Gadowski (9:02.88).

McGowan and O’Brien finished in 9:14.55.