Ireland Rowing bounces quickly from the success of the World Cup in Rotterdam, with its three medals, to the World Under-23 Championships in Florida. The team of 15 travel out this weekend for the championships which begin on Wednesday.
The World Cup yielded the possibility of another seat race for the lightweight double before the senior World Championships in Austria in five weeks’ time. Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy raced to a wonderful silver, but Gary O’Donovan took bronze in the lightweight single. Ireland high-performance director Antonio Maurogiovanni praised the “strong performance” of both crews, and said that next week a decision would be made on whether there would be more testing.
Trial
There is a “small possibility” that a Ireland men’s pair will go to Austria. Maurogiovanni said there was no formal trial scheduled for this weekend, but there was “something”. Ireland will not have a men’s four this season.
In two weeks the senior team will be announced, and will go to camps in Banyoles in Spain and Gavirate in Italy. It may include team members from the under-23 squad.
Separately, Jimmy Bermingham, the former honorary secretary of Rowing Ireland, has died. The sad loss comes hard on that of Anthony Hart of Enniskillen.
