Coaches have to be patient people – especially when they are dealing with small numbers and injured athletes.
Ireland’s lead coach Don McLachlan hoped this Saturday’s trial would produce a number of crews to represent Ireland this season, but circumstances have not been kind.
Sinéad Jennings was injured taking a boat from a container prior to the Irish Indoor Rowing Championships, which means the possibility of forming a lightweight double gets kicked forward until the final trial in March.
Heavyweight sculler Sanita Puspure is back on the water but not ready to race, while Helen Hannigan is also recovering from injury.
Fellow heavyweights
On Monday an Ireland training group will travel to Varese in Italy. Puspure and fellow heavyweights Lisa Dilleen, Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska will be joined by three lightweight women: Claire Lambe, Denise Walsh and Emma Desmond.
The lightweight men’s double of Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan will also travel to Varese. They will trial on Saturday, with Justin Ryan hoping to get the nod in the lightweight single, or as a spare for this crew.
The triallists for the lightweight men’s four have no shortage of motivation, with McLachlan saying contenders will “get the nod” to train full time. An Ireland lightweight four could go on to compete at the European Championships in May.
Selection of the senior Ireland team for the Home International Regatta in Scotland in July will be based on performances at the Cork Regatta on June 20th and 21st. Junior athletes will come through the junior trials process.
Rowing Ireland are looking for a new high performance paralympic coach, following Peter Heaney’s resignation. Ireland’s premier pararower, Katie O’Brien, continues to train in the hope of finding a partner to form a paralympic-class boat. One possible partner, Ronan Chevalier, has been undergoing operations and has not been classified.
The push to develop men’s heavyweight rowing will continue with a strategy meeting at Garda Boat Club on Sunday, March 1st. Rowing Ireland has invited coaches and captains from universities and and non-university clubs.
Jonathan Doyle finished second at the British Rowing Indoor Championships on Sunday in the 40-49 lightweight class behind winner, Mark Mitchell, who set a time of six minutes 20.5 seconds.
