Two Northern Ireland rowers claimed medals at the first World Cup regatta of the season in Varese.
Belfast’s Rebecca Shorten stroked the Great Britain women’s four to gold while Philip Doyle from Banbridge and partner Daire Lynch sprinted to a bronze medal for Ireland in the men’s double sculls.
Coleraine’s Hannah Scott and Aughnacloy’s Rebecca Edwards were fourth for Great Britain in the women’s quadruple sculls and pair.
It was a new look Great Britain quartet with Shorten and two-time Olympic champion Helen Glover joined by Samantha Redgrave and Esme Booth.
They led from start to finish with their biggest challenge coming from a second GB boat with the world champions, Netherlands, trailing in third place.
After not winning a race in the 2023 season this will be a huge confidence booster for Shorten and her team mates at the beginning of the Olympic season.
The Irish boat of Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Natalie Long and Imogen Magner were fourth.
They haven’t qualified for Paris yet and will race at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne next month.
Bronze for Doyle and Lynch in double sculls
Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch were happy to begin their season with a bronze medal in the men’s double sculls final.
The duo blasted off the start rating at fifty strokes a minute before finding their race pace.
In a tightly contested contest the Dutch world champions Melvin Twellaar and Stefan Broenink edged out Italy for gold while Doyle and Lynch produced their trademark sprint to overtake Germany on the line for bronze.
There was a second medal for Ireland in the women’s pair as Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh took silver behind the Netherlands.
Rebecca Edwards and her partner Chloe Brew will be pleased with their first outing together as they finished fourth, more than justifying their selection.
There will be slight disappointment for Hannah Scott. In their first outing as world champions, Scott, Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson and Georgie Brayshaw were nudged of the podium in the women’s quadruple sculls.
Ukraine took the win from the Netherlands with Germany holding on for third.
The Irish world bronze medallists in the men’s pair from County Fermanagh, Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney and single sculler Belfast’s Konan Pazzaia, won their respective ‘B’ Finals to finish seventh overall.
Source Agencies
