Two wins early in the day got Ireland off to a good start on semi-finals day at the World Junior Rowing Championships but the big prizes will evade the crews in white and green in Racice in the Czech Republic.
The junior men's quadruple and the junior women's double of Ciara Browne and Ciara Moynihan both won their C/D semi-finals to qualify for C Finals. The quad finished second in their C Final, 14thoverall, and the junior women's double fourth, 16thin the world.
Two Ireland crews competing in A/B semi-finals missed out on their chance of making the top six. The junior pair of Eliza O’Reilly and Gill McGirr gave a gutsy, competitive performance in their race but could only take fourth. Greece won with a rampaging show which saw them leave the field behind as they set a new record time for the Championships.
The Ireland junior men’s coxed four fell out of contention for a top-three place in the second quarter of their semi-final and finished sixth.
World Junior Championships, Racice, Czech Republic (Irish interest)
Men
Junior Four, coxed – A/B semi-final: 1 Italy 6:23.40, 2 Australia 6:25.34, 3 Czech Republic 6:26.32; 6 Ireland (C Mulready, J O'Donovan, F O'Driscoll, E Gaffney; cox: E Finnegan) 6:34.84.
Junior Quadruple – C/D semi-final: 1 Ireland (L Hayes Nally, A Byrne, J Dorney, J Keating) 6:12.77, 2 Lithuania 6:16.01, 3 Norway 6:19.17. C Final(places 13 to 18): 2 Ireland 6:00.95.
Women
Junior Pair – A/B semi-final: 1 Greece 7:15.53, France 7:29.98, 23 Canada 7:31.25; 4 Ireland (G McGirr, E O'Reilly) 7:34.52
Junior Double – C/D semi-final (First three to C final, rest to D final): 1 Ireland (C Moynihan, C Browne) 7:42.52, 2 Croatia 7:48.16, 3 Serbia 7:50.41. C final: 4 Ireland 7:23.79.
