Keogh and Murtagh help Irish four secure European rowing bronze

TWO Galway oarswomen have boosted their prospects of fulfilling a sporting dream at next year’s delayed Tokyo Olympic Games.

For Aifric Keogh from Na Forbacha and Fiona Murtagh from Moycullen defied the odds as part of the Irish women’s four at last weekend’s European Rowing Championships held in Poznan, Poland.

Not alone did the two Galway rowers – along with fellow crew members Aileen Crowley from Kerry and Eimear Lambe from Dublin –  finish a gallant third in the final, the Irish four just missed out on the silver medal.

And though this relatively newly assembled crew have yet to secure their qualifying place at the Olympic Games in Japan, their medal-winning heroics over the weekend show Keogh, Murtagh, Lambe and Crowley can mix it at the highest level.

The women’s four will target next May’s qualifying regatta in Lucerne, hoping to book their passage to Tokyo and their exploits in Poland underline the potential of the Irish quartet.

Having finished second to pre-championship favourites the Netherlands in last Friday’s heats, the Irish women turned their attentions to the repechage – an opportunity for first round placed boats to qualify for either semi-finals or finals depending on the overall number of entries – 24 hours later.

Keogh, Murtagh, Lambe and Crowley made no mistake by winning that repechage to secure their place in Sunday’s six-boat final alongside the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Romania and Russia.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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