Holland and Casey book place in lightweight final

WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS: Today is a big day for Irish rowing. Four boats, two of them in Olympic disciplines, have the chance to book places in A finals at the World Championships, thus showing themselves to be in the top six in the world in their discipline.

Yesterday, in a demonstration of the strength of the squad, Ireland booked their first A final place through the lightweight pair of Derek Holland and Neil Casey, a crew which was formed for this regatta. In a three-boat race - Hungary dropped out yesterday - Ireland had only to ensure they stayed ahead of Portugal to qualify.

The Irish tucked into second behind Germany early on and held this position. When the Portuguese pushed with 300 metres to go the Irish had a momentary wobble due to a mix-up over a call, but found their rhythm again and were two seconds up on Portugal at the finish.

"You always have one bad race at the World Championships, and that was it," said Holland, who at 29 had just qualified for his first A final in a World Championships. "It has been a difficult year," added the London-based Dubliner. "I spent four months lying on my back, from January to the end of May, because of two prolapsed discs in my back."

Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey have strong hopes of experiencing something similar this morning. To make the A final the lightweight double scull must finish in the top two in a semi-final which includes fellow heat winners France, along with Japan and Australia, who qualified through repêchages, which they won.

Ireland have been lucky to avoid hot favourites Italy, who compete in the first of the three semis, and Lynch and Towey can progress.

Ireland's other Olympic boat in action today, the lightweight four, was put together less than a month ago to qualify a boat for Athens - a top 11 finish would guarantee this - but the three Munstermen and one from Ulster have grabbed their chance and have been one of the fastest boats here so far.

A top-three finish in a semi-final where the the Netherlands, Australia and Canada are the main threats, would see the Irish through.

One of the stories of the regatta so far has been four who are absent today - two Austrian athletes tested positive for drugs and the champions of 2001 pulled out.

The Irish were pleased to be drawn in lane two for today's test, having done well from this station in the last two races. If they can continue to improve at their rate they have established they can do it.

Heather Boyle's chances of making the A final in the lightweight single scull also depend on her getting better with each race, something she achieved this year at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne, where she took a silver medal.

The Irish woman has the easier of two semi-finals, but to make it into the top three is a tall order. She will effectively have to displace a heat winner in China's Qian Lee and Germany's Janet Raduenzel or more likely the repêchage winners, Kirsten Jepsen of Denmark and Switzerland's Lea Fluri.

Our other semi-finalist today, Brian Young, knows he would be at very long odds to make the final of the lightweight single, but the Limerickman is a battler.

So, too, are Sinéad Jennings and Fiola Foley, who overcame a poor start to qualify for the C final of the lightweight double sculls yesterday.

Fourth at 500 metres, the injury-plagued crew moved up a gear to take second behind Italy.