Paris 2024: Irish pair into mixed double sculls repechage

Rowers Katie O'Brien and Tiarnán O'Donnell are into the repechage of the PR2 mixed double sculls after their weather-delayed heat in Vaires-sur-Marnes.

The Irish crew required a top-two finish in their heat to qualify automatically for Sunday’s final, but will have a second bite of the cherry in tomorrow’s repechage (9.50am Irish time) after a fourth-place finish where China and Israel claimed the top two spots.

Originally due to race at 10.50am local time, the race programme was halted for an hour and a half due to thunderstorms at the spectacular rowing venue 35km west of central Paris.

While light rain continued to fall, the threat of lighting had subsided and the Irish crew took their place in lane five of their heat, with a sizeable Irish contingent in the stand making their presence felt.

It was the Chinese who controlled it from the off, with Israel their closest challengers. With 500m gone, the Irish boat tailed the leaders by more than eight seconds in fourth place.

With Turkey struggling at the rear, O’Brien, celebrating her 28th birthday, and O’Donnell tried to chase down Ukraine, and reducing the deficit to third by a second, with world silver medallists China and Israel in an unassailable lead.

Perhaps with an eye to the repechage, the Irish pair eased their stroke rate in the final 500m, finishing almost a minute down on China, who availed of the tailwind to win the heat in a Paralympic Games record of 8:03.70.

Israel, three and a half seconds down, also advanced to the A final, with Ukraine third and Ireland crossing the line in 9.03.33.

O’Brien, who has spina bifida, qualified the boat with Steven McGowan at last year’s World Championships, but O’Donnell was rewarded for his form over the last 12 months having