Paul O Donovan and Fintan McCarthy switch focus to Paris Olympics after solid dose of reality southernstar.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from southernstar.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Rowers win first Tokyo 2020 gold medals for New Zealand, Ireland
Xinhua
30 Jul 2021, 04:18 GMT+10
TOKYO, July 29 (Xinhua) The first gold medals for New Zealand and Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics both came in the rowing regatta here on Thursday. Two-time world champions Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast of New Zealand came from behind to win their first Olympic gold in the women s pair competition. The duo were part of the New Zealand team that finished fourth in women s eight at Rio 2016, and this time they bagged home a gold medal in six minutes and 50.19 seconds. Vasilisa Stepanova and Elena Oriabinskaia finished 1.26 seconds behind to win the silver for the Russian Olympic Committee. Canada s world champions Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens, who beat the New Zealanders at the 2018 World Championship, had to settle for bronze in 6:52.10, despite leading the first 1,000m.