Holland to make fresh start

Rowing Column: Irish rowing talent is spread far and wide this weekend: from Boston to Cannes and back to Ireland, where John Holland begins his tenure as national lightweight coach with a 10-day get-together in Blessington.

Holland expects eight to 10 athletes to attend the session, with the outgoing lightweight four joined by Tim Harnedy and Gearóid Towey, who were part of the crews which won medals at World Championships in 2005 (silver) and 2006 (bronze). Richard Coakley and Dave Heffernan are also set to attend. By yesterday Sam Lynch had not made contact with Holland.

This endeavour is the first step in a process which may yield a medal in Beijing next year, but the coach was not banging the drum yesterday, speaking of it as a "get-to-know-you" session. The national time trial at the end of next month will be mandatory, however, and the first National Selection Regatta in early March is the cut off.

"That's it; everybody must be in. There's no flexibility after that," said Holland.

The heavyweight men, under Harald Jahrling, are now in what is effectively a parallel system. A plan for the lightweight and heavyweight women was being manoeuvred into place yesterday. Caroline Ryan, the outstanding heavyweight oarswoman of the last few years, should go into next month's time trial in fine form. She shone in last weekend's Dublin Sculling Ladder time trial, finishing only 46.5 seconds behind the winner, Seán Jacob, and in eighth overall.

Jacob goes off 31st in the championships singles in tomorrow's first day of the Head of the Charles in Boston, Massachusetts. In Jacob's class, Mahe Drysdale, the best sculler in the world, goes off at number two, behind Argentinian Santiago Fernando.

The Irish entry this weekend is strong, and includes Albert Maher in the Master's Singles, Siobhán Jacob in the lightweight women's singles and Rob Michael in the club singles.

On the other side of the world, in Mandelieu near Cannes in France, Ireland will also have multiple crews competing in the World Coastal Rowing Championships, which begin today.

Kilmacsimon, which is situated between Bantry and Bandon in Co Cork, builds on its strong showing at the recent Irish championships to send four crews. Three other strong coastal clubs, Killorglin, Castletownshend and Arklow are also represented.

Surprisingly, Neptune Rowing Club, situated in landlocked Islandbridge, have also entered a quadruple. Paul O'Brien (who will not be entering Jahrling's senior programme this season), Seán Walsh, Aodhan Kelly and Aidan Harwood have taken on the challenge primarily for the novelty value.