Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch are through to double sculls final after an impressive showing to win their semi-final.
The Irish pair, bronze medallists at the 2023 World Championships, made their move 600m from the line and came home in a time of 6:13.14 to finish ahead of New Zealand and the USA respectively.
It was Germany who made a strong start but they faded after 1000m, leaving the USA in front, with Ireland in second and it was then a case of Doyle and Lynch picking their moment to hit the front.
Speaking after winning their semi-final, Philip Doyle said they felt good "but realised afterwards when we got on the machine to cooldown that the body was hurting".
"But if your body isn't hurting coming through an Olympic semi-final, you’re not doing it right."
The pair remained calm and trusted in their plan for the race despite the fast start by the German crew.
"Daire made some lovely calls through the race, executed the changes and pushed through where we wanted to push through," Doyle said.
He added: "We knew some people gave it a hail Mary in the first 500m and we just let them do it and worked our way back through.
"So, that was exactly what we thought was going to happen and it’s nice to execute."
Lynch could be seen to be frequently looking around to watch the progress of the other crews, adjusting their tactics accordingly.
"We’re very much a second half crew so I think the fact that we were well within the race - I think nearly in the lead coming through the 1km," he said.
Lynch added: "You get a lot of confidence from that, especially the way we race. So, I was just looking over saying 'we’re moving through them’ and we pushed on together and got the job done in the end.
"The last 250m then I think we started winding her up and got through that dogfight."
Doyle said that the pair are in an "amazing place" ahead of the upcoming final. However, they both said they have taken inspiration from Mona McSharry’s bronze medal triumph in the pool yesterday.
"We’re the fittest we’ve been so far as a pairing. We obviously built up from last year and gone from strength to strength," he said.
"The training numbers have been pretty good but, to be honest, after watching Mona’s final last night the heart rate and blood pressure were up high after watching that.
"I had to get into the room, get the heart rate down and the body relaxed and try get to sleep for today," Doyle joked.
Lynch added: "It gives you confidence, if anything.
"Like you don’t want to make too much of a big deal out of the whole thing and it just lets you know that really, it’s not that big a deal.
"When it comes down to it and we can just put out the race we know we’re capable of doing and then whatever happens then happens," he said.
Keeping calm in stressful situations is the crew's main strength, according to Doyle.
"The boat that keeps the head and has that mental clarity we always talk about that’s the one that’ll make the right decision and push on.
The preparation for their Olympic final will see them training this evening and tomorrow "to sharpen the tools" before "hopefully getting the job done on Thursday," Doyle said.
Hyde and Bergin finish fifth
Zoe Hyde and Alison Bergin finished fifth in their double sculls semi-final and so will contest the B final.
The Irish duo finished just shy of six seconds behind the winners New Zealand, with Netherlands and France taking the other spots in the A final. Hyde and Bergin rowed strongly throughout, and at one stage were just a length behind the French in third, but they could not sustain that effort.
Czechia and Italy will also join Ireland in the B final on Thursday.
In the women's four repechage, Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe and Imogen Magner took fourth spot, not enough to secure a place in the final, with only two boats progressing from their race.
Racing third early on with the USA in their sights and China in the leading position, the Irish could not maintain that push and were eventually passed by Denmark.
It was the USA and China who progressed, with Ireland coming home in a time of 6:38.20.
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