Rowing:Four of the six Irish crews were in heats action on the opening day of the 2007 Rowing World Championships in Munich this morning. All four finished inside the top four or better of their heats and advance to the repechages on Tuesday morning.
In the olympic classes the men's heavyweight four (M4-) of Alan
Martin, Sean Casey, Cormac Folan and Sean O'Neill fared the best
finishing second behind reigning champions Great Britian in their
heat, and ahead of the French four in third. Only the winner
advanced directly to the semi-finals so the Irish quartet will
contest the repechages on Tuesday.
Irish manager Mick O'Callaghan was pleased with how the four
fared: "They raced well this morning, they were steady and looked
sharp out there. They were targeting a top two finish in the heats
so it was a good opening performance from the crew."
Ireland's other olympic class boat in action this morning was
Sean Jacob in the heats of the hotly contested men's heavyweight
single scull (M1x). Jacob finished third in his heat behind the
winner, and reigning world champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand
with Belgium's Tim Maeyens second. The Dubliner will race in the
repechage on Tuesday.
Ireland's remaining two boats in action were in the
non-Olympic classes; the lightweight single scullers Orlagh Duddy
(LW1x), and Liam Molloy (LM1x). Both finished fourth in their
respective heats and will race in the repechages on Tuesday also.
Tomorrow sees the lightweight men's four (LM4-) of Paul
Griffin, Richard Archibald, Eugene Coakley and Cathal Moynihan, and
the lightweight women's double (LW2x) of Sinéad Jennings and
Niamh NiCheilleachair in heats action.
This year the World Championships are of added importance as
they are the 2008 Beijing Olympic Qualification regatta. The
majority of Olympic qualification places will be on offer in Munich
but there will be one further opportunity to qualify for Beijing at
the final Olympic qualifying regatta in June 2008.