Hannah Scott: Coleraine woman fifth in women's sculls final at World Championships

Hannah Scott produced fine performance in the Czech Republic after a season disrupted by injury and illness

Coleraine's Hannah Scott finished fifth in her first World Championships in the final of the women's single sculls in the Czech Republic.

The 23-year-old, whose season has been disrupted by injury and illness, showed her potential for the Paris Olympics with her performance.

She sculled brilliantly in her semi-final to make sure of her final place against some of the world's best.

European champion Karolien Florijn from the Netherlands took the gold.

The Dutch woman finished ahead of Olympic gold medallist Emma Twigg from New Zealand with Australia's Tara Rigney in third.

Scott, who was a member of the women's quad sculls in Tokyo last year, was injured at the Henley Regatta earlier in the summer and that caused her to miss the final World Cup and the European Championships.

As a result, there will be an element of what might have been had she been fit throughout a long season but to make the final is a major achievement as she looks ahead to Olympic qualifying next year.

Ireland's double world champion in the single sculls, Sanita Puspure has now moved into the double and along with her partner Zoe Hyde won bronze behind Olympic champions Romania and the Netherlands.

The Irish pair were involved in a titanic battle with Austria for third place which was only decided in the closing 100 metres.

Banbridge's Philip Doyle, on his return to action for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics, and his new partner Konan Pazzaia, whose mum is from Belfast, won the 'C' final and placed 13th overall.

There will be disappointment with that result but they missed out on a semi-final place by just three-hundredths of a second in their first regatta together so there is plenty of room for improvement.

Next year's World Championships in Belgrade is the main qualification pathway for Paris 2024 with potentially seven or more rowers from Northern Ireland looking to clinch those places.

Therefore, rowing could be the sport with the biggest number of local participants at the next Olympics.