Rowing Column: A decision on the hugely ambitious plan to build a world-class rowing and watersports centre near Portadown may be announced in the next few weeks.
The NI Olympic Watersports Centre passed the first stage in their application for funding from the Elite Facilities Capital Programme in September, and a government announcement of funding could come before the end of this month. Construction work would have to begin by this autumn in order for the centre to be ready in 2011 or early 2012 - in time to be used by teams preparing for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The full cost could be up to €40.2 million.
The present set of elite Irish athletes have their sights on this year's Olympics, and initially, in the case of the lightweights, on the Olympic Qualifier in June. A trimmed-down lightweight squad of six men and two women head for a camp in Seville today following a set of trials and ergometer tests in the National Rowing Centre in Cork at the weekend.
Paul Griffin (28) and Richard Archibald (30) recorded personal bests in the five-kilometre ergometer trial. On the water Richard Coakley won the 5,000-metre trial on Saturday and dead-heated with his brother Eugene in the 2,000-metre test on Sunday.
The heavyweight squad is also a streamlined one. Ireland head coach Harald Jahrling told the IARU at the weekend Serryth Colbert and Bruce Magee had left his group, which has been training in St Cassien in France. This leaves just six sweep rowers and sculler Seán Jacob involved. Ireland have qualified a four for Beijing. A pair and Jacob could join them through the qualifiers.
The Lagan Scullers' Head of the River tomorrow has a big entry, but the scheduled Dublin Head has been postponed.
IRELAND OLYMPIC-CLASS SQUADS- Men, heavyweight: A Martin, S Casey, S O'Neill, C Folan, J Wall, J Devlin, S Jacob. Lightweight: P Griffin, R Archibald, E Coakley, C Moynihan, R Coakley, G Towey. Women, lightweight: N Ní Cheilleachair, Orlagh Duddy.
Finishing order in trials, selected results: Men, Saturday- 5,000m: 1 R Coakley, 2 E Coakley, 3 Archibald, 4 Towey, 5 Moynihan. Sunday- 2,000m: 1 R Coakley, E Coakley (dead heat), 3 Archibald, 4 Moynihan. Did not finish: Towey.
Women - Saturday, 5000m (times): 1 Caroline Ryan, 2 Orla Hayes (U-23 lightweight), 3 Siobhán McCrohan (U-23 lightweight), Sunday, 2000m (times): 1 Ryan, 2 McCrohan, 3 Hayes.
Team managers for international teams: Home Internationals: Lisa O'Callaghan. Coupe de la Jeunesse: Michael R Hughes.
