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Fiona Murtagh takes World Cup silver, Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia claim bronze

Fiona Murtagh celebrates in Lucerne
Fiona Murtagh celebrates in Lucerne

Fiona Murtagh won women's single silver at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne on Sunday morning, with Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia taking bronze in the men's double sculls A final.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Murtagh was pipped to gold by Great Britain's Lauren Henry; the Dane Frida Sanggaard Nielsen had to settle for third.

At the 1,000 metre mark, Murtagh trailed pre-race favourite Henry by just 0.3 seconds and kept the pressure on right to the end.

It was a carbon copy of the European Rowing Championships final earlier this month which was won by Henry, with Murtagh second and Sanggaard Nielsen behind her.

The two Irish crews went head to head in the men's doubles sculls final after coming through their semi-finals on Saturday. Paul O'Donovan and Daire Lynch were up against McCarthy and Pazzaia.

McCarthy and O'Donovan won back-to-back Olympic golds in the lightweight double sculls at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but the former was paired with Pazzaia in Switzerland, and they delivered a strong showing to earn a top-three finish.

The Irish duo set a strong pace from the start and led the race up until the final 250 metres, but powerful sprint finishes from New Zealand and Serbia saw them take first and second place respectively.

O'Donovan and Lynch crossed the line in fifth.

It's been a good period for Skibbereen rower McCarthy and Queen's University's Pazzaia. In May, they won bronze at the Europeans.

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