Rowing/ World Cup Regatta: Another regatta, another step up for Ireland's extraordinary lightweight four. Yesterday, at the third and final World Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, they won their second gold, adding it to the one the won at Poznan and the silver they took at Munich, to take the overall title of World Cup champions in this class. It was the first time an Irish crew had gained the honour.
Just as importantly, yesterday's win saw Gearóid Towey, Eugene Coakley, Richard Archibald and Paul Griffin comprehensively demonstrate their superiority over their main rivals, as they face into next month's World Championships in Eton in Britain.
The Irish patiently waited out an Egyptian crew who had an explosive start, and pushed world champions France, who they also beaten in Saturday's semi-final, into second at the end.
Egypt clocked a fast first-quarter of one minute 28.29 seconds, and reached halfway in 3:01.77, but the Irish four moved into the lead soon after, and as Egypt faded the Irish coped with the challenge of France and Germany, who finished second and third.
Archibald said the furious pace of the Egyptians in the early stages did not alarm his crew: in lightweight rowing everybody is the same weight, so in general "If you go out that quickly you have to pay eventually".
This Ireland team is now a confident unit. "We knew if we executed our race plan it was up to everyone else to find something to deal with it," said the Coleraine man.
"I think the third World Cup has gone well," said Archibald. "It's been our best of the three. It was a good rehearsal for the Worlds."
Archibald was modest about winning the award as World Cup champions and said the emphasis now will be on using their time in a camp in St Moritz to work on their technique as they get ready for Eton.
Sinéad Jennings and Niamh Ní Cheilleachair are intent on proving themselves at Eton as well after finishing a close-up fourth in the final of the lightweight double sculls. Canada's Mara Jones and Tracy Cameron led from pillar to post, and while Ireland held second place at halfway, Finland the US - bronze and silver medallists at last year's World Championships - pushed Ireland out of the medals.
"We're really disappointed - devastated to be honest," said Jennings. "We really wanted to win here, or at least get a medal. But I suppose two years ago we would have been delighted to get fourth place in Lucerne."
Ireland coach Harald Jahrling said he was happy with the team's performance and disappointed for Jennings and Ní Cheilleachair.
"It was a real pity to lose in the last two strokes. That's something you don't really want, but they did what they could."
The two B finals of the morning session brought encouraging results for Ireland. The men's four of Cormac Folan, Seán O'Neill, Seán Casey and Alan Martin, who had rowed well in a tough semi-final on Saturday, gave France One a real battle for the first place in yesterday's race. The Irish led at halfway, but France took it at the finish by 0.11 of a second. Ireland, competing for the first time in this combination, were thus placed eighth overall.
In the women's single scull, Caroline Ryan took fourth in her B final, placing her 10th overall.
Significantly, if the four finished in the same position at next year's World Championships and Ryan improved by one position, both boats would qualify for the Olympics in Beijing. This was not lost on Jahrling.
"Oh yeah, that's the main factor at the moment for those crews. Going for medals, that's a different ball game. They are not really in that ball park at the moment."
In two C finals on Saturday, Ireland's lightweight double of Richard Coakley and Tim Harnedy finished third for 15th overall, while the heavy double of Seán Jacob and Con Collis, in their first competitive outing, were fifth (17th overall).
