Pat O’Leary got Ireland’s campaign in the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Duisburg off to a good start.

The paracanoeist finished second in his seven-boat heat and qualified directly for the final of the KL3 200 metres.

Jenny Egan, who took bronze in the K1 5,000 metres at the European Championships, competes again in this event, along with the K1 200 and 500 metres, her Olympic-class disciplines. She is the first Ireland competitor on the water today.

The Ireland team also features Andrzej Jezierski in the C1 200 metres and Barry Watkins and Michael Fitzsimons in the K2 1,000m. Both crews hope to qualify their boats this year for the Olympic Games.

Back home, the the Junior Liffey Descent on Saturday has drawn an entry of 150.