Ward forces way into Olympic squad

Rowing News:Nineteen-year-old Dubliner Gerard Ward won himself a place on the Ireland Olympic rowing squad at the national time trials at Inniscarra Lake in Cork on Saturday.

While no competition was possible yesterday because of high winds, Saturday's session in which the athletes competed in single sculls was pronounced a success by national coach Harald Jahrling. He named Olympic A and B squads which followed expected lines, with Sam Lynch returning to the Irish fold for the first time in two seasons.

A number of athletes outperformed Lynch: "It is not 2001 or 2002 anymore," said the German referring to the two years when Lynch was world champion in the lightweight single scull. "But I mean, for his comeback after two years off I was pleased with his result."

The Olympic A squad consists of the 10 athletes who made up the three crews placed inside the world's top 10 at last year's World Championships, and in his choice of the 13 athletes in the B squad Jahrling was generally confirming the form of athletes whose performances he has been charting for two seasons.

Ward, however, nailed down a place with his class on the day. "Gerard was the one person we decided on yesterday. He performed really well. I think we have a talent there."

The A and B squads are not set in stone, and athletes who have put jobs on hold to gain an Ireland place will now concentrate on the next phase, the trials, which begin in March. Those already named will, however, be invited to go on the two camps outside Ireland in the coming months, and there are implications for the carding of athletes.

"We need to start identifying people who are capable of being Olympians," Jahrling said, adding the judgment is made on performance on the water.

"We are looking at people who are at the standard to qualify for the Olympics."

Jahrling ranked the finishers on Saturday on percentage of projected world best times, but only rated as lightweights those who already met the weight requirements of 72.5 kilogrammes for men and 59 for women.

Heavyweight scullers Sean Casey and Sean Jacob (first and third) were among the best performers, but Sinéad Jennings was hugely impressive - finishing third, even though she competed as a heavyweight! Liam Molloy, an under-23 lightweight, was second.

Tim Harnedy did compete in Cork because of a recent injury, but is named in the B squad.

Off the water, the executive of the IARU have left it open to Commercial Regatta to be added to the calendar for the year ahead as the arrears issue has been cleared up.

Ireland Olympic A Squad:Gearóid Towey, Eugene Coakley, Richard Archibald, Paul Griffin; Cormac Folan, Sean Casey, Sean O'Neill, Alan Martin; Sinéad Jennings, Niamh Ní Chéilleachair.

Olympic B Squad:Sean Jacob, Caroline Ryan; Richard Coakley, Tim Harnedy, Sam Lynch, Gerard Ward; James Wall, Paul O'Brien, Dan Barry, Paul Murray, Con Collins; Heather Boyle, Orla Hayes.