Hannah Scott: Coleraine rower impresses on Great Britain debut at European Championships

Hannah Scott (second from right) and her GB team-mates won the opening quadruple sculls heat in Varese

Coleraine's Hannah Scott made an impressive Great Britain senior debut as she helped the women's quadruple sculls boat win their opening heat at the European Championships in Varese.

The GB boat pulled away from defending champions Netherlands to clinch the only automatic place in Sunday's final.

Their time was over three seconds faster than other heat winners Germany.

Scott's team-mates are sisters Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne plus Lucy Glover.

Scott, 21, has won two world under-23 medals during her GB career.

The Northern Irishwoman was studying at Princeton University in the US, where she is a member of their highly successful collegiate rowing programme, when the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic happened.

She was allowed to return home to Coleraine and continue her studies online before moving to Caversham in the autumn when she received an invite to train with the GB Olympic squad.

Hannah Scott is a product of the successful Bann Rowing Club

Enniskillen rower Holly Nixon also had a successful performance during Friday's opening day of action in Italy.

Returning to racing after a long-term illness for the first time since winning a world championship bronze in 2017, Nixon and partner Saskia Budgett finished second in their heat of the women's double sculls, behind the Netherlands, to move directly to the final.

The new combination in the women's four, stroked by Belfast's Rebecca Shorten, also finished second in their heat behind the Dutch.

Shorten, Karen Bennett, Harriet Taylor and Rowan McKellar held their position throughout the race and will hope to make the final via the repechage on Saturday.

The Irish crew of Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh and Emily Hegarty were very impressive in winning their heat by eight seconds from Russia.

The boat hasn't yet qualified for the Tokyo Olympics but will hope to do so at the final qualifying regatta in Lucerne next month.

Doyle and Byrne reach semi-finals

With only six entries in the women's eight, the crews raced for lanes in Sunday's final.

The Great Britain boat, including 27 year-old Rebecca Edwards from Aughnacloy in County Tyrone, finished in fourth place but just three-tenths of a second behind Russia.

Irish 2019 world double sculls silver medalists Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne were making their first appearance together since those championships 587 days ago.

They held the Russian crew to a gap of three seconds throughout the race but despite a furious sprint finish they were unable to catch them finishing 0.72 behind and had to go through the afternoon repechage.

The Banbridge/Cork combination needed to finish in the top two to advance to Saturday's semi-final and they exerted no more energy than was needed to take second place behind Serbia.

Rio 2016 silver medallist Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy progressed to the semi-finals in the lightweight men's double sculls.

The reigning world champions won their heat over six seconds ahead of Ukraine in second.