Coleraine rowers start well by winning heats in France

Alan Campbell is targeting a podium place in the single sculls at Aiguebelette

Coleraine rowers Alan Campbell and Richard Chambers have won their respective heats at the World Championships in Aiguebelette, France.

Campbell showed his continuing return to form with a win in the men's single sculls, coming home in 7:00.62 minutes.

Meanwhile Chambers and England's Will Fletcher displayed a good turn of pace to take victory in their lightweight men's double scull heat in 6:23.11.

Peter Chambers will take part in the lightweight four heats on Monday.

Campbell, who missed out on selection for last year's World Championship, performed well to hold off the USA's Ken Jurkowski in the first half of his race, before moving away to win comfortably and progress to Wednesday's quarter-finals.

Fellow Great Britain team member Richard Chambers pronounced himself pleased with success in his heat.

"In terms of what we were trying to do, that was very good. We set up a good rhythm," observed the Northern Irishman.

Peter Chambers (second from left) will hope to qualify for the Olympics with the lighweight four crew

"We had two good training camps and we are putting the pieces together nicely here with still more to come.

"This is an awesome venue. Even the colour of the water is stunning. We should come here again soon for big events."

The regatta doubles up as the main route of Olympic qualification for Rio 2016 and that will initially be the main focus for all the competitors.

The top nine in the singles sculls and top 11 in the lightweight double sculls and lightweight four will secure Olympic places.

Peter Chambers and Chris Bartley remain from the quartet that took Olympic silver three years ago and are joined by Jonno Clegg and Mark Aldred to make up the lightweight four crew.

Another Coleraine and GB rower Joel Cassells and Enniskillen's Leonora Kennedy, who represents Ireland, will be taking part in non-Olympic class events.

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