Seven Irish boats to compete in final leg of Rowing World Cup

Seven Irish boats; five of them in Olympic classes will take to the water in Lucerne, Switzerland this weekend for the final leg of this year’s Rowing World Cup series.

This regatta is traditionally seen as the most competitive of the three leg series as it the last chance to test the field before the World Championships in August, which will be the main Olympic qualifying regatta. A massive 876 athletes from 41 countries will compete on the picturesque Rotsee lake this weekend.

Speaking ahead of the race draw Irish team manager Mick O’Callaghan said: “All our senior boats are competing this weekend, in what will be a really competitive regatta. This is the last racing before the Worlds, so it’s a really good opportunity to see where we currently stand. We move to our four week training camp in St Moritz on Monday so it will give us a good indication of how we need to fine tune preparations there.”

The men’s heavyweight four (M4-) of Alan Martin, Sean Casey, Cormac Folan and Sean O'Neill placed fifth in the final in the Amsterdam leg three weeks ago, and with all the worlds top crews racing this weekend are in for a real test.

The men’s lightweight four (LM4-) sees one change from the crew that raced in the opening regatta in Linz. Liam Molloy of NUIG replaces in injured Richard Archibald in the number three seat, to join Paul Griffin, Eugene Coakley and Cathal Moynihan who are looking forward to racing after a six week training camp in the National Rowing Centre.

The women’s lightweight double (LW2x) of Sinéad Jennings and Niamh NiCheilleachair face virtually all the top crews in their boat class; Amsterdam gold medallists China the only exception. The Irish duo will be hoping for a similar performance to their last outing in Amsterdam where they won the B final (seventh overall).

The men’s heavyweight quad (M4x), who were rested for Amsterdam line up with fifteen other crews in their event. Dubliner Sean Jacob replaces the injured Con Collis in the line-up. Garda’s Caroline Ryan takes to the water just before 9am in the heats of the women’s heavyweight single sculls (W1x); her goal a top twelve finish.

In the non-Olympic categories Derry native Orla Duddy, triumphant in Amsterdam taking home a bronze medal in the lightweight single sculls (LW1x) is first out for the Irish in the morning at 7.30am Irish time. Skibbereen’s Richard Coakley will race in the men’s equivalent (LM1x) targeting a spot in the A final.

The overall World Cup champions are determined after a series of three regattas (Linz, Amsterdam & Lucerne in July) with the centrepiece of the International season the World Championships in Munich, Germany beginning August 26 which, this year, is the main Olympic qualifying regatta with the majority of places on offer.