Team Ireland’s Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney have qualified for the men’s pair final at the Paris Olympics after taking a superb third place in their semi-final.
The Fermanagh rowers went out hard from the start and led after the opening 500 metres as they looked to build a buffer.
European champions Romania and Team GB made their way past the Fermanagh duo at the halfway point of the race.
Knowing third would be enough to put them into a first Olympic final, Corrigan and Timoney dug deep to respond and they held off New Zealand to take the last place for the final.
Their time of 6:32.22 was faster than their effort in the heats, and they crossed the line 0.5 seconds ahead of New Zealand, who had beaten Ireland into second place in Sunday’s opener.
The men’s pair final takes place on Friday morning at 10:42 BST.
However, there was disappointment for Rebecca Edwards, who failed to progress to the Olympic final in the women’s pair after finishing fifth in their semi-final.
After coming through the repechage on Tuesday, Team GB’s Edwards and Chloe Brew ran sixth in the early stages and a late charge was not enough to break into the top three.
Later at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, Hannah Scott could become the third athlete from Northern Ireland to win a gold medal in less than 24 hours.
Scott will race in the women’s quadruple sculls for Team GB with Georgina Brayshaw, Lola Anderson and Lauren Henry at 11:38 BST.
The crew are reigning world champions and were fastest in the heats.
Scott is from the same Bann Rowing Club in Coleraine as 2012 medallists Alan Campbell and brothers Peter and Richard Chambers and is aiming to reach the top step in Paris.