Northern Ireland Rowers Shine at World Cup Regatta: Shorten Strikes Gold, Doyle and Lynch Claim Bronze

Belfast’s Rebecca Shorten and Banbridge’s Philip Doyle made Northern Ireland proud as they claimed medals at the first World Cup regatta of the season in Varese. Shorten stroked the Great Britain women’s four to gold, while Doyle and his partner Daire Lynch sprinted to a bronze medal for Ireland in the men’s double sculls.

Shorten, alongside two-time Olympic champion Helen Glover, Samantha Redgrave, and Esme Booth, led from start to finish in the women’s four event, with their biggest challenge coming from a second GB boat. The world champions, Netherlands, had to settle for third place behind the dominant British crew.

For Shorten and her teammates, this victory marks a significant confidence boost at the beginning of the Olympic season, especially after a winless 2023 season. Meanwhile, the Irish boat of Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Natalie Long, and Imogen Magner finished fourth and will now set their sights on the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne.

In the men’s double sculls final, Doyle and Lynch showcased their sprinting prowess to secure the bronze medal, edging out Germany on the line. The Dutch world champions claimed gold, with Italy taking silver.

There was more success for Ireland, as Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh secured silver in the women’s pair event. Rebecca Edwards and her partner Chloe Brew also impressed with a fourth-place finish in their first outing together.

Despite narrowly missing out on a podium finish, Coleraine’s Hannah Scott and her teammates put up a strong fight in the women’s quadruple sculls event. The Irish world bronze medallists in the men’s pair and single sculler also showed their potential by winning their respective ‘B’ Finals to finish seventh overall.

Overall, it was a successful outing for the Northern Irish and Irish rowers at the World Cup regatta, setting the stage for an exciting Olympic season ahead.