Lynch strikes gold in Seville

Sam Lynch won gold for Ireland at the World Cup regatta in Seville on Saturday, and the Irish completed the medal haul with silver for the lightweight pair of Tony O'Connor and Gearoid Towey and bronze for lightweight single sculler Sinead Jennings.

Medical student Lynch has his eyes set on taking the gold in the lightweight single sculls at this year's World Championships in Lucerne. The Irish team management has allowed himself and Jennings to work towards that goal this year, although both are in non-Olympic class boats which are not classed as World Cup events proper. The lightweight pair is also in this category.

Lynch's silver in the World Championships in Zagreb last year came when finishing second to Michal Vabrousek of the Czech Republic, but on Saturday, after a slow start, the Limerick man passed both Vabrousek, who finished third, and Italy's Stefano Basilini.

O'Connor and Towey, part of the lightweight four which performed disappointingly in Sydney last year, lost out to two of the Danish crew which won bronze in the four in Sydney, Soeren Madsen and Thomas Ebbert. The Irish, however, had plenty to spare over Holland, who finished third.

Jennings, who won bronze at the World Championships last year, saw the 1999 world champion, Petra Vogel, pass herself and Miriam Ter Beek of the Netherlands in the final 500 metres. The Dutch woman finished second and reigning world champion Laila Finska-Bezerra of Finland fourth.

Ireland's entry in the B final in the lightweight double scull was withdrawn because Owen Byrne was slightly injured. At Cork City regatta on Saturday in Inniscarra, NUIG continued to impress in their run-up to competing at Henley with a 1 1/2length win over Tribesmen in the senior eights, with Trinity two lengths back in third. Garda did not compete.

Both the men's and women's senior one single sculls produced interesting results: Offaly's Padraig Hussey beat John Wholley of Skibbereen - who was originally entered for Seville - and Killorglin's Fiola Foley beat Offaly's Eimear Moran, who has been in tremendous form this year.