Rowing: Athens Olympic finalist and former world champion Niall O'Toole pulled out of his heat at the first international selection regatta in Cork yesterday and hinted he might be about to retire.

"I've been struggling from the word go this year," said O'Toole, who turned 35 yesterday.

"The older you get the more you have to have everything right and I haven't had a run at all. If I don't perform at the next trial I'll throw my hat at it."

The final selection regatta, also at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Wood, is scheduled for four weeks' time.

O'Toole was Ireland's first world champion oarsman, winning the lightweight single scull title in 1991. He was part of the lightweight four which finished sixth at the Olympics last year.

Tim Harnedy, whom O'Toole displaced in the four for Athens, was one of the big successes yesterday. He won through to the final of the single sculls where he will face heavyweights Sean Casey and Seán Jacob along with lightweights Richard Archibald and brothers Richard and Eugene Coakley.

Paul O'Brien and Rory O'Connor, who may form a junior double scull at international level this year, were impressive winners in the junior single scull.

Athletes and mentors were shocked to find boats and vehicles which had been left overnight at the rowing centre had been extensively vandalised.

Garda are looking into the incident in which a drill was used to puncture tyres and damage boats.