Northern Ireland rowers progress at European Championships

Nixon (second from right) will be in action in Britain's quadruple scull team in Brandenburg on Saturday

A number of Northern Ireland's rowers have performed well in Friday's first day of the European Championships.

Joel Cassells and his Great Britain partner Sam Scrimgeour have made the final of the men's lightweight pair.

Peter Chambers and the GB lightweight four are also straight into Sunday's final at Brandenburg in Germany.

Alan Campbell was a distant third in his single sculls heat but recovered to set the fastest time of the day in the repechage to make the semi-finals.

Enniskillen woman Holly Nixon, 22, will take part in the Women's Quadruple Sculls repechage on Saturday morning.

Both Nixon and Campbell are among the British rowers aiming to press their claims for berths at this summer's Rio Olympic Games.

Coleraine's Alan Campbell is hoping to qualify for a fourth Olympic Games

Campbell, representing GB for a 10th successive year, is hoping to secure a place at a fourth Olympic Games.

Campbell and fellow Coleraine rower Peter Chambers were medallists at London 2012.

The regatta is the last event ahead of the final Olympic qualifier in Lucerne.

Nixon, Tina Stiller, Jess Leyden and Rosamund Bradbury finished fourth at the World Cup regatta in Varese last month and will hope to be in the medals in Brandenburg.

Richard Chambers withdrew from the lightweight men's double scull with Will Fletcher as he continues his recovery from a hand injury but another Coleraine man Cassells is in action in the non-Olympic lightweight pair with Scrimgeour.

Cassells and Scrimgeour are the defending world champions in the class.