ROWING: Ireland has entered six crews, all lightweights, for this month's World Championships in Milan, although there is some doubt over one of the key entries, the lightweight women's double scull.
Both members have been struggling to prove their fitness. Fiola Foley was recently injured in a bicycle accident, and while nothing was broken she still bears the marks. Sinead Jennings has been beset with severe tendonitis since trials in Ireland last month.
The third woman in the frame for this crew, Heather Boyle, is fully fit. But speaking last evening from the Ireland training camp in Hazewinkel in Belgium, the man in charge of the squad, Thor Nilsen, said it was unlikely Boyle would be brought into this crew.
"If one of the girls goes out of the boat I am not sure I will continue with the boat. I may scratch the boat," Nilsen said.
Boyle has been entered in the lightweight single scull, a discipline at which she won a silver medal at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne, and Nilsen feels she might be better building on this than competing in a crew which might "explode".
Jennings has what Nilsen said is "the worst tendonitis I have seen in my life", and contact has been made with British experts to see if if it is possible for her to have an operation which would heal in time for her to compete in Milan. The loss of the lightweight women's double would be unfortunate, as it is one of the boats from which Ireland hoped to qualify for the Olympics through a good placing in Milan, in this case by finishing ninth or better.
For the men, the relevant Olympic boats are the lightweight four and the lightweight pair, and a placing in the top 11 will secure spots for Athens. The double is Sam Lynch and Gearoid Towey and the four Paul Griffin, Richard Archibald, Tim Harnedy and Eugene Coakley.
An unfortunate illness ruled out Niall O'Toole, and he has returned to Ireland. Nilsen said that the experienced athlete was regaining fitness but might not have been ready in time for Milan.
Ireland team for World Rowing Championships in Milan (August 24th to 31st): Men - Lightweight Four: P Griffin, R Archibald, T Harnedy, E Coakley. Lightweight Pair: N Casey, D Holland. Lightweight Double Scull: G Towey, S Lynch. Lightweight Single Scull: B Young. Reserve: H Griffin. Women - Lightweight Double: F Foley, S Jennings. Lightweight Single Scull: H Boyle.
