Paul O’Donovan sets his fastest time ever, but no world record

Paul O'Donovan set his fastest time ever as a single sculler at the National Rowing Centre in Cork on Saturday.

The world champion in the lightweight single sculls won the Division One A Final by 13 seconds, ahead of his brother Gary.

Paul’s time of six minutes 50.819 seconds was faster than the winning time for lightweight single scullers at the recent World Cup in Poland - run in a roaring tailwind - but seven seconds outside the world’s best time for a lightweight.

“I thought I was much closer than that,” O’Donovan said.

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Shane O’Driscoll and Mark O’Donovan, who have taken gold medals at three international events this year, continued their unbeaten run. They won the open pair final after a really good clash with Shane Mulvaney and David O’Malley, the Ireland lightweight pair for the World Under-23 Championships next month.

Sanita Puspure beat Monika Dukarska in the heat of the women’s single sculls, but then pulled out injured before the final, which Dukarska won. The margin in the heat was six seconds.