World Championships: Cassells cruises into World semis

Joel Cassells is through to the semi-finals in France

Coleraine's Joel Cassells progressed to the lightweight men's pair semi-finals at the World Rowing Championships after winning his heat in France on Monday.

Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour clocked 6:40.69 in the non-Olympic event to win by five seconds from Germany.

Peter Chambers was part of the GB crew which finished second to New Zealand in their lightweight men's four heat and they go through to the repechage.

His brother Richard and Alan Campbell won their heats on Sunday.

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.

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

The Olympic bronze medalist, 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.

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.