RowingHead coach Harald Jahrling has sprung a few surprises in his Ireland team for the three World Cup regattas this year - not least in the flexibility he has shown.
Ireland are to have a lightweight men's eight which will compete at Henley Royal Regatta in preparation for the final World Cup at Lucerne in early July.
There is no heavyweight men's single sculler in the squad, despite this being a priority boat (i.e. an Olympic-class craft), and Sinead Jennings is given her head in the lightweight single, leaving the way open for Niamh Ní Cheilleacháir and Heather Boyle to stake a claim in the priority women's boat, the lightweight double.
The World Cup series starts at Eton in three weeks (May 26th-28th), continues with Munich (June 17th-19th) and culminates in Lucerne (July 8th-10th), which Jahrling confirmed yesterday will effectively be a final trial for the World Championships in Japan from August 29th to September 4th.
Only crews which can make the final of Olympic events or win a medal in non-Olympic disciplines will go to the World Championships, he said.
Jahrling has named 12 male lightweights in the senior team for the World Cups, with the priority crew being the lightweight four. While a number of regulars from the Thor Nilsen regime, including Niall O'Toole, have not made it, Paul Griffin did - "by the scruff of his neck" said Jahrling.
Ireland will field two lightweight men's fours at Eton. The top crew looks set to be built around the Coakley brothers, Eugene and Richard, and Diarmaid MacColgáin. Tim Harnedy, Richard Archibald and Siaghal MacColgáin are exam tied.
There is some doubt about the fitness of Ní Cheilleacháir, who has been experiencing soreness in the rib area, and Siobhán Jacob may team up with Boyle in the double.
Seán Jacob's victory over Seán Casey in the single at the final trial prompted a rethink which led to the formation of a heavyweight four of these two and the men who seemed set to form a heavyweight pair, Alan Martin and Cormac Folan.
Jahrling has decided to give the the two boats chosen for the World Junior Championships in the first weekend in August a chance to cut their teeth at the World Under-23 Championships in July. The team for the World Under-23 Championships will, similarly, go in the World Cup in Munich.
Jahrling's watchword yesterday was patience. "It's going to take time. We're dealing with inexperienced athletes internationally. Except for Sinéad and Eugene this is a very inexperienced group."
For all this, he has no worries about the move of Richard Coakley, who is only 22, to the core of the senior group. "I won my first Olympic gold when I was 22, and many have done it before and after me," said the man who was twice an Olympic champion.
The formation of the international squad will have knock-on effects on Limerick tomorrow, with Ní Cheilleacháir out of the women's single sculls, and Ghent tomorrow and Sunday, where the junior pair of Matthew Carroll and Vincent Ruane have been told not to compete. An astounding 17 Irish clubs are entered in the Belgian event, with Commercial set to send 67 crews.
IRELAND - Senior A Team (World Cups in Eton, Munich, Lucerne) Men, Coxless Four: C Folan, S Jacob, S Casey, A Martin. Coxless Pair: M Stevens, J Forde. Lightweight Coxless Four and Eight Squad: E Coakley, T Harnedy, R Coakley, R Archibald, D MacColgáin, D Wallace, J Devitt, S MacColgáin, K McDonald, A Coleman, D O'Dowd, P Griffin. Women, Lightweight Single Scull: S Jennings. Double Scull Squad: H Boyle, N Ni Cheilleachair, S Jacob.
IRELAND - Under-23 Team (World Cup Munich and Under-23 World Championships): Men, Coxless Four: N Kenny, J Wall, P Giblin, M Walsh. Lightweight Coxless Four: R Cronin, S King, S Walsh, L Molloy. Trial against: S Gough, B O'Carroll.
IRELAND - Junior Team (Under-23 World Championships and Junior World Championships): Men, Coxless Pair: V Ruane, M Carroll. Double Scull: P O'Brien, R O'Connor.
IRELAND - Junior Team (Coupe de la Jeunesse): Men, Coxless Four: J Barry, D Barry, P Hennigan, J McLoughlin. Quadruple Scull: A Collins, J Currivan, D Meehan, B Lyons. Women, Coxless Four: Z Shaw, C O'Donovan, J Dineen, S Kennedy. Quadruple Scull: S Lambe, L Gannon, S Cadogan, S McCrohan.
