Rower Sanita Puspure says the performances of Ireland’s lightweight double sculls on Friday helped ease the pain she felt after missing out on her own Olympic final.
And now that her Rio Games are over she’s looking forward to spending some time with her family - husband Kasper and children Patrick (9) and Daniela (8).
Puspure, born in Latvia and based in Cork, was tipped as a likely finalist and possible medallist before her second Games, she also rowed at London 2012.
But her dreams fell apart when she failed to make it out of an stacked quarter-final after rowing a time that would have seen her qualify from the other races at the same stage in her women’s sculls event.
On Saturday she won her C final with a bit to spare and speaking to RTÉ Sport afterwards she reflected on an incredible week for Irish rowing when Gary and Paul O’Donovan won silver in the mens’ lightweight double sculls while Claire Lambe and Sinead Lynch put in a strong performance in the women’s lightweight double sculls final.
“It’s bitter-sweet. I wouldn’t be happy going home if I didn’t win the C final, but obviously that’s not the way I wanted it to be,” said the 24-year-old. “But the boys yesterday helped to take the pain away - I was elated for them so my hurt got pushed a bit through the backdoor.
“It was really hard - I was so happy for them, but at the same time their success highlighted my failure. It was a bitter-sweet day, but yesterday I realised that I had to let it go and be happy for the boys and girls for what they achieved for Rowing Ireland.
“I was watching the girls give an interview on RTÉ yesterday and I was tearing up because it was an amazing journey. Not many people get too represent their country in the Olympics so I have to take pride in that.”
Puspure says she hasn’t decided whether or not she will continue to row competitively yet and that her main priority is to enjoy some time with her family.
“We’re going to the beach today!” she beamed. “We’re going to enjoy Copacabana for a few days and then go home together.”
The O’Donovan brothers are now national heroes and Puspure knows them as well as anyone having spent so much time training, travelling and competing alongside the Skibbereen boys.
She says their media persona is only partly true and that their laid-back attitude disappears when work needs to be done.
“They get on with things,” she explained. “They do what needs to be done and they don’t talk about it much. They’re as not chatty all the time - when we’re tired we go back into our box and focus on what we need to do.”
