Alison Bergin makes senior debut with Rowing Ireland

Local rower Alison Bergin will take on some of the best rowers in the world on Thursday this week as she competes in the C/D Semi-Final at the Senior World Rowing Championships.

In July, the Fermoy Rowing Club member took home a bronze medal for Ireland at the U23 World Championships and this week made her senior debut in the Women’s Single Scull category under Rowing Ireland.

Day one of racing kicked off in Racice, Czech Republic on Sunday last with Alison competing in a five-boat heat after one of the scullers did not start.

Alison finished in fourth place with a time of 07.48.85.

From each heat, just one sculler progresses into the A/B semi-final, which meant the local rower went forward to race in the repechage the following day.

On Tuesday, at 1.50pm Irish time, Alison faced up against rowers from Egypt, Spain, Serbia and Kazakhstan in the Women’s Single Sculls Repechage.

Serbia and Spain took the lead in the repechage, but with a push from Alison in the last 500m, she closed the gap between her and the front-runners, finishing in third place, just short on the line.

The third place finish progressed the local sculler to the C/D semi-final this Thursday at 1.30pm Irish time.