World Rowing medal for Ireland as Skibbereen's Lydia Heaphy wins silver

SKIBBEREEN'S Lydia Heaphy won silver today at the World Rowing Cup II in Lightweight Women's Single Sculls. 

Lydia placed second with a time of 08:25.15 against strong competition, edging ahead of Italian rower Federica Cesarini, to secure second place on the podium with a silver medal. 

Lydia raced against rowers from Switzerland, Italy, China, and the Netherlands.

It was a successful second day of rowing for Ireland at World Rowing Cup II, where eight of the nine Irish crews competing this weekend qualified for A Finals. The remaining seven crews will be racing tomorrow morning.

Skibbereen's Gary O’Donovan qualified for the A Final by finishing second in the Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls A/B semi-final. 

Aileen Crowley (OCBC)and Monika Dukarska (Killorglin) competed in the Women’s Pair Repechage, where they finished first with a time of 07:35.44, and qualified for the A final. 

Tara Hanlon (UCC) and Claire Feerick (Neptune) also competed in the Women’s Pair Repechage and finished third to also qualify for the A final.

Cork's Ronan Byrne (UCC) and Phil Doyle (Belfast) competed in the Men’s Double Sculls A/B semi-final and won it in a time of 06:27.65, beating the British crew by less than a second and securing their place in the A Final tomorrow.

Cork rowers Jack Dorney (Shandon BC), Alex Byrne (UCC RC), John Kearney (UCC RC) and Ross Corrigan (Queens) competed in the Men’s Four Repechage, finishing fifth. Jack, Alex, John and Ross will compete in the B Final on Sunday.

In Women’s Single Sculls, Cork's Sanita Puspure (OCBC) secured her spot in the A Final finishing second with a time of 08:06.18 in the A/B semi-final, which was won by Victoria Thornley of Great Britain, who led by just over one second.

Daire Lynch (Clonmel) placed third in the Men’s Single Sculls A/B semi-final with a time of 07:12.29 and secured the final place in the A Final. 

Paul O’Donovan (UCC) and Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen) competed in the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls A/B semi-final and won it in a time of 06:36.95, four seconds ahead of Belgium, and secured their spot in tomorrow's A Final.