Ireland single sculler Sanita Puspure finished fourth by just .65 of a second in an incredibly tough quarter-final and missed out on qualification for the A/B semi-finals at the Olympic Games.

The awful conditions in the heats, which saw World Champion Kimberley Brennan of Australia finish only third, tossed a grenade into one of the quarters - and this was it. She joined Duan Jingli of China, the bronze medallist from last year’s World Championships, seven-time Olympian Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus, and Puspure, European and World Cup medallist this season. Only three could go through and retain a hope of a Rio final.

Brennan took an early lead and never relinquished it. Karsten, a wily 44-year-old who has won two golds, a silver and two bronze medals in her amazing Olympic odyssey, tracked the Australian, with Duan Jingli on her stern. Puspure held fourth, but was over three seconds down on the Chinese at 1500 metres.

Puspure staged a spirited challenge in the final quarter. Karsten and Duan Jingli sped up to just stay clear and continue their challenge. Puspure goes to the C/D semi-finals, with her best hope a placing of 13th.

Puspure’s race was the fastest quarter-final and her time would have guaranteed her qualification from each of the other three races.

It was a bad blow to the Cork-based competitor, who had put Karsten well behind her in the Olympic qualification regatta earlier this season. Puspure was Ireland’s only rowing representative at the London Olympic Games.

Coleraine man Alan Campbell, who competes for Britain, finished second in his quarter-final of the men’s single and will go to an A/B semi-final.