ROWING NEWS: LISA DILLEEN of Tribesmen was the outstanding performer at the international assessment trial on Newry Canal yesterday.

The 17-year-old stellar prospect overcame illness and a fall off her moped recently to be the best performer when her time in the five kilometre time-trial was weighted against projected world best time.

Over 170 athletes completed the tough test into a headwind, but the signals blaring out to rowing in general were mixed.

“We’re strong in juniors,” opined Ireland performance director Martin McElroy.

Dilleen’s training partner, Laura D’Urso of City of Derry, was second in the weighted rankings, and the two confirmed their claims to a place at the World Junior Championships this year.

The senior ranks show a more worrying picture, however. Lightweight internationals Richard Coakley was rated fifth and Cathal Moynihan seventh, but the highest-ranked heavyweight man was Cormac Folan in 27th. In mitigation here, Folan recently had an operation on his foot and fellow Olympians Seán O’Neill and Seán Casey are in the Antipodes training.

The picture on the women’s side is even more washed out. Sinead Jennings was absent because of exams, but Caroline Ryan has confirmed she will concentrate on cycling this year, and Sanita Puspure, the first heavyweight woman home – and the winner of the ergometer test on Saturday – is not eligible at present to row for Ireland.

Lightweight Orla Hayes did fly the flag with a good time, which ranked her fourth overall.

Newry itself served as a fair and accommodating venue – and was surprisingly quiet until the hordes of shoppers swept in during the afternoon.