LAST UPDATE | 25 Jul 2021

THE IRISH ROWING team’s latest day on the Olympic waters got off to a good start at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, with both the women’s pair and the lightweight women’s pair crews securing their places in the semi-finals. 

First up were Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley, who secured the third-place repechage finish they needed to qualify for the semi-finals of the women’s pair. 

Dukarska and Crowley’s fourth-place finish in yesterday’s heat sent them to the backdoor, and they needed a top-three finish from the four-crew repechage to capitalise on the reprieve. 

They duly delivered, finishing third behind the Greek crew of Kyrdiou and Biurmpou and the United States duo of Kalmoe and Eisser but a comfortable 13 seconds clear of the Chinese boat in fourth in a time of 7:31.99.

Their semi-final is scheduled for next Tuesday morning. 

A third-placed finish for lightweight pair Aoife Casey – daughter of renowned Irish coach Dominic – and Margret Cremen, meanwhile, sent them through to their semi final on Tuesday. 

The Irish pair finished behind first-placed Switzerland and a crew competing under the Russia Olympic Committee banner, but fully 20 seconds ahead of the Austrian crew in fourth place. 

Elsewhere today, Sanita Puspure won her quarter-final in the women’s single sculls, while men’s pair Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle missed out on a medal race in finishing last in their semi-final.  

Results 

Women’s Pair Repechage 

1. GREECE 7:28.00

2. USA 7:29.87 (+1.87)

3. IRELAND 7:31.99 (+3.99) 

4. CHINA 7:45.17 (+17.17)

Lightweight Women’s Pair Repechage 

1. SWITZERLAND 7:22.02

2. ROC 7:22.72 (+0.72) 

3. IRELAND 7:23.46 (+1.44)

4. AUSTRIA 7:42.31 (+20.29)

5. VIETNAM 7:53.69 (+31.67) 

6. GUATEMALA 8:13.27 (+51.25)