ROWING:Ireland's campaign at the Under-23 World Championships in Scotland got off to a faltering start yesterday. All of the five crews face into repechages today at the Strathclyde venue, having failed to make it directly to semi-finals or finals.
Orla Hayes from Skibbereen, who is competing in the lightweight single sculls, came closest to qualifying, finishing third in her heat when second would have sufficed. She has a good chance of remedying the situation in this morning's repechage.
Going into this regatta, Ireland's best hope of a medal looked to be the men's double of Paul O'Brien and Paul Murray. They made up half of the quadruple scull which represented the Ireland senior team at the recent World Cup in Lucerne, but they finished fifth in their heat yesterday and have a poor lane draw in their repechage.
Ireland's other crews also finished down the rankings: lightweight single sculler Ger Ward and the open four were fifth and the lightweight men's four were fourth. Rory O'Connor, who was entered in the single scull, had to pull out because of a back injury.
Ireland would hope to have more to cheer at tomorrow's Home International at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. Coach John Armstrong has had the senior squad training at the venue for a week and says his ambition is "to win". "At the very worst I hope we would improve on our past performances."
After a disappointing set of results last year the decision was made to deem this a development regatta for Irish crews, but Armstrong put together a strong set of rowers, and could challenge main rivals England even in the open events. The regatta is essentially a competition for club athletes.
For Diarmaid Mac Colgain a season which was blighted by what he saw as his unfair omission from the Ireland team ends with him representing England.
Two weeks ago the Kildare man, who has been based in London, won the open and lightweight single sculls at the Irish National Championships. A week later he took part in the British equivalent in Nottingham - and, with Bart Hudson, won the lightweight double sculls title.
He was asked to represent England, and will compete in the lightweight double and perhaps the open quadruple tomorrow.
Mac Colgain is still sore about the decision of Ireland national coach Harald Jahrling not to team him up with Liam Molloy in the lightweight double after the two had finished first and second in the second national trial in the lightweight single."The questions I asked were not answered. I wasn't provided with a selection criteria," says Mac Colgain. "That was the main bone of contention."
