Rowing: She took up the sport in 1998 and started to row seriously in late 1999, but through sheer determination and wonderful physical ability she won a world title in 2001.

If you were limited to one phrase to sum up Sinead Jennings, Ireland's best woman rower, you would say she was single minded.

The phrase is all the more apt this morning since she announced yesterday she intends to campaign as a heavyweight single sculler in the next few months shelving, at least for the present, her efforts of the last two years to be part of a lightweight double scull.

After her win in Lucerne in 2001 in the lightweight single scull, Jennings bravely opted for the lightweight double in an attempt to convert her glory in the World Championships into Olympic currency. The lightweight double is the only lightweight women's category in the Olympic rowing programme.

However, in spite of teaming up with two different partners, Heather Boyle and Fiola Foley, the class yielded little joy for Jennings.

She struggled with a number of different injuries, and Thor Nilsen, who heads up the Irish coaching system, openly speculated that her specific style of sculling might not be suited to a crew boat.

Now Jennings has opted to try to qualify for Athens in the heavyweight single, one of the five other Olympic categories for women, and she will train with Nilsen in Spain to this end.

The Donegal woman says she revels in the "freedom and self-reliance" which comes with a single scull.

"I really love the single. I like to be totally responsible for myself; to have everything in my own power," she says.

Weight concerns have never been a problem for Jennings and she won't be bulking up for her new discipline.

"I am not going to put on much weight," she says. "I can control my weight quite well."

She looks back to her 2001 win and notes that her time, in similar conditions, would have placed her fifth in the heavyweight single final. But her more limited aim now is to take one of the places available in the Olympic qualifier in Lucerne in June.

Beyond this her expectations are not inflated.

"Being realistic about it I know I won't win an Olympic medal. I want to get to Athens and gain experience looking towards Beijing in 2008," she says.

Only a matter of weeks ago she turned up as a surprise entrant in the Irish cycling championships and qualified for the World Championships in Canada, finishing 35th in the time trial. Her flirtation with top-class cycling may grow into something more lasting, and she hopes to again compete in the national championships next year.

By then she should know whether she can cut it as a heavyweight single sculler. It will be an expensive lesson, as her funding from the Sports Council will run out next month and she is essentially self-funding her time in Spain.

She can, of course, go back into the mix for the lightweight double next year. But you sense she wants to take on the big challenges on her own - in her single-minded way.

The Irish Amateur Rowing Union has announced that all 32 drug test results for 2003 received so far are clear.