ROWING/ News: Former world lightweight single sculling champion Sinead Jennings should know by the end of next month whether her hopes of competing as a heavyweight single sculler in the Olympic Games next year are viable.

Jennings, the world lightweight champion in 2001, has been training in Spain with coach Thor Nilsen, who heads up the country's lightweight programme.

The Norwegian said yesterday that Jennings, who is extremely fit, was improving technically, but it will take time before her form in relation to other heavyweight scullers can be assessed.

Nilsen wants to postpone choosing his Olympic lightweight four until the middle of next year to be certain of picking the best crew. He said: "I have asked the union (the Irish Amateur Rowing Union) to continue to May with the biggest possible group."

The group will be joined today by the athletes who have come through the recent trials process in Ireland and thus qualified for an Olympic camp in Seville, which runs until Tuesday week.

Meanwhile, the Henley stewards have decided to continue to tidy up the rules regarding student and non-student crews. They have formally ruled that current students cannot row in alumni crews entered in the Thames, Wyfold and Britannia.

The Britannia will become solely a club competition for coxed fours and a new Men's Student Fours has been set up for university and college coxed fours.