Sanita Puspure has qualified for Tuesday's quarter-finals of the singles sculls at the Olympic Games by finishing second in her heat. The conditions were atrocious, with strong winds and with choppy water at the Lagoa venue in Rio making the race more like a coastal rowing event. The boats took in water and the scullers found it impossible to steer a straight line.
Puspure and Carling Zeeman of Canada contested the lead in the early stages, but Zeeman moved away and eventually won well. Puspure and Egypyt's Nadia Negm moved well clear in the battle to secure the three automatic qualification places. Puspure slipped into third at the 1500 metres mark, but fought back and relegated Negm to third.
The conditions were very similar to those at the European Championships in Germany, in which Puspure eventually took a bronze medal. Though she failed to qualify for the Games from last year’s World Championships, Puspure also placed well in her two other regattas this season. She took bronze at the first World Cup regatta, and qualified in the second of four available places at the Olympic Qualifier.
There was a surprise in the first heat in Rio, as hot favourite Kim Brennan (nee Crow) finished third in her heat, though she still qualified for the quarter-finals.
Coleraine man Alan Campbell, who competes for Britain, won his heat of the men's single sculls with some ease in the much better conditions earlier in the day. Campbell, who is 33, took bronze in London 2012. He has said this may be his last Olympic Games.
Heat 3 result
1 Carling Zeeman (Can) 8mins 41.12secs, 2 Sanita Puspure (Irl) 9:11.45, 3 Nadia Negm (Egy) 9:14.55, 4 Phuttharaksa Neegree (Tha) 9:17.95, 5 Camila Valle Granados (Per) 9:30.60
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