ROWING Irish rowing team to compete in Munich World Cup

IRISH ROWING TEAM TO COMPETE IN MUNICH WORLD CUP REGATTA

Eight Irish boats competing in first regatta of World Cup Series

The Irish rowing team begin their international season tomorrow morning when they take to the water in the first of the three leg Rowing World Cup Series at the Munich Olympic Rowing Course (25th May).

Eight Irish boats, all of them in Olympic boat categories, compete in this the first chance to test the 2006 field. A record entry of 750 athletes from 46 nations will compete over the next three days at the 1972 Olympic venue, with a notably high entry of 23 crews from China, with Beijing Olympics on the horizon.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s race draw Irish team manager Mick O’Callaghan said: “The athletes are all really looking forward to racing starting tomorrow, after putting in the endless hours of hard work during gruelling pre-season training over the winter months. With little wind forecast over the coming days conditions are great for racing and with all the top crews here it’ll give us a great feel for where we stand as we build for Eton.”

 The men’s lightweight four (LM4-), sees only one change from the crew that won silver at last year’s World Championships with Gearoid Towey, fresh from his Atlantic Challenge adventure coming in for Skibbereen’s Tim Harnedy. Harnedy underwent surgery recently for an ankle injury and is expected to be fit to compete in a lightweight double at the next leg of World Cup in Poznan, Poland.

Two Irish men’s lightweight doubles (LM2x) of Eoghan Garvey and Johnny Devitt, David Heffernan and Diarmaid MacColgain, both new combinations, are also set to compete in Munich as part of the quest to find the ideal combination for that boat.
 The women’s equivalent (LW2x) sees Offaly’s Niamh Ni Cheilleachair partner former single sculls World Champion Sinéad Jennings (St.Michael’s).

In the heavyweight category Caroline Ryan competes in the single scull (W1x), in her first regatta as part of the Irish senior squad. The men’s heavyweight four (M4-), who finished tenth in last year’s Worlds also see one change from that crew with Con Collis coming in for Sean Casey who now partners Irish newcomer Sean O’Neill in the heavyweight pair (M2-).The Irish Under 23 heavyweight four will also compete in Munich using the regatta as a chance to get real race experience ahead of the Under23 World Championships which being on 20th July in Belgium.

The overall World Cup champions are determined after a series of three regattas (Munich, Poznan in June & Lucerne in July) with the centrepiece of the International season the World Championships in Eton, Great Britain beginning August 20th. The event will be streamed live across Europe on www.eurosport.com and Eurosport will be broadcasting live on finals day (Sat 27th May) from 10am – 11.45am CET.

Sinéad McElroy of the Irish Sports Council will act as media liaison officer to the Irish team for the World Cup series, based in Dublin, and the World Championships from Eton. For competition draw, race times and live results visit www.worldrowing.com

Ends.
Issued on behalf of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union by the Irish Sports Council

For Further Information:
Sinéad McElroy, Irish Sports Council. 01-8608804 or 087-6338512
smcelroy@irishsportscouncil.ie

Additional Information:
Irish Team for Munich World Cup, May 25th – 27th
LW2x Sinéad Jennings (St. Michael’s)
          Niamh NiCheilleachair (Offaly / Castleconnell)
W1x Caroline Ryan (Garda)
LM4- Paul Griffin (Muckross)
         Eugene Coakley (Skibbereen)
         Richard Archibald (Lady Victoria BC)
         Gearoid Towey (Neptune)
LM2x Eoghan Garvey (UCD)
(1)    Johnny Devitt (UCD)
LM2x David Heffernan (London)
(2)    Diarmaid MacColgain (UCD)
M2-  Sean Casey (Muckross)
        Sean O’Neill (Central RPC, New Zealand)
M4-  Alan Martin (NUIG)
        Con Collis (Commercial /UCD)
        Sean Jacob (Commercial)
        Cormac Folan (NUIG)
M4-  Paul Murray (NUIG)
(U23) Paul O’Brien (Neptune)
        Daniel Barry (St. Michael’s)
        James Wall (NUIG)

Key Dates
Rowing World Cup 2:   Poznan, Poland 15th – 17th June
Rowing World Cup 3:   Lucerne, Switzerland 7th – 9th July
World Rowing Championships: Eton, Great Britain 20th – 27th August