Three medals out of four finals, including gold for Brian Colsh and Konan Pazzaia in the men’s double sculls, marked an excellent return for the Irish crews at the World Under-23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Last year, Colsh and Pazzaia won bronze, making the successful upgrade to gold this time, leading throughout and never in doubt of toping the medal podium this time.
Cork due Sheehan and Alison Bergin both bagged silver medals in the single sculls, Sheehan coming from third to second in the last quarter, behind Piotr Plominski of Poland.
Bergin of Fermoy Rowing Club also upgraded her 2022 medal from a bronze to a silver this year, behind Swiss sculler Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen. In the end Janzen held on to the lead that she had put down early in the race.
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The lightweight men’s double of Ciaran Purdy and Rory O’Neill just missed out on the medals finishing in fourth place. With 300m to go Ireland put themselves in bronze position and were actively gaining on Spain for that silver spot; then 50m out from the line luck turned for Purdy and O’Neill when they caught a boat stopping crab, pulling them back out of the podium positions. After a medal worthy performance it’s fourth that they’ll have to settle with.
“The team showed some incredible performances today and are coming away with well deserved gold and silver medals”, said High Performance Director, Antonio Maurogiovanni. “To be under-23 world champions in an Olympic boat class is hugely motivating for the years ahead.”
“Last year we won a silver and three bronze medals, this year we have improved again picking up gold and two silvers with a close fourth place. The lightweight double were unfortunate not to make the medals but had an excellent performance finishing in the top end of their boat class.”
