Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy made the perfect start to the World Rowing Championships in Austria on Sunday morning, easing to first place in their heat to safely progress to the quarter-finals.
The lightweight double act need to finish seventh overall to book their ticket to the Tokyo Games and looked impressive on the waters of Linz. They'll row again on Wednesday.
Ireland have sent a team of 11 crews to the World Rowing Championships in Austria, with several rowers competing for a ticket to Japan.
The women's pair of Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley need a top-11 finish to make it, and they also progressed to the quarters after taking second in their heat.
There was jpy too for the lightweight double crew of Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey. They crossed in fourth, which was enough to send themn into the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O’Donovan took sixth in the men's pair heat and will compete in the repechage.
The women's four of Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Tara Hanlon and Emily Hegarty also go to the repechage after coming home in third.
Gary O'Donovan came fourth in the non-Olympic lightweight single class, while Lydia Heaphy finished third in her women's lightweight single heat. Both now head for the repechage.
