ROWING:Ireland's failure to qualify a lightweight boat this year for the Olympic Games has led to a major dilution of the power of head coach Harald Jahrling. The Irish Amateur Rowing Union (IARU) are to employ a lightweight coach, who will effectively work independently of the big German.

Mick O'Callaghan, the Ireland team manager, said yesterday that Jahrling had been "fully briefed" about the decision, and "fully supported" it.

While he will remain as head coach he will have "specific responsibility for heavyweight men". Jahrling created the men's heavyweight four which is the only boat qualified for Beijing.

The new lightweight coach will be given the autonomy necessary for the post. "If you bring in a coach and tie his hands, that doesn't work," added O'Callaghan.

The person chosen will have the task of negotiating a way through next year's Olympic Qualifier in Poznan in Poland, and then take the crew or crews on to Beijing.

The decision to go this route was on the cards even before the World Championships in Munich, where the lightweight men's four (12th) and lightweight women's double (16th) failed to qualify their boats. "No matter what happened in Munich we had decided to do this," said O'Callaghan.

The decision, which was backed by the Sports Council - effectively the paymasters in this situation - was made under the outgoing regime in the IARU. Last weekend's agm of the union has returned a very different board which will, O'Callaghan said, "make the ultimate decision".

Some of the men's lightweight four we're supportive of Jahrling, while others did not get on with him, but O'Callaghan expects the new coach to have full support. "I'm confident we will have everyone back on board in October," he concluded.

The annual sculling challenge between Dublin, Cork and Belfast will be staged tomorrow in Belfast, while Fermoy's junior regatta is on Sunday.