The European Championships proved that Ireland’s top boats are not far from the very top. Three boats – the women’s and men’s lightweight double and single sculler Sanita Puspure – made A Finals.
The women’s pair and lightweight single sculler Sinéad Jennings underperformed, but have been hampered by injury and illness.
But if the elite lightweight men's programme has coming stars in the O'Donovan brothers, it does not have depth. It is not just that the lightweight four finished last in Poznan (not helped by problems with boat weight and the departure of coach John Holland in the run-up to the Championships). There are also structural problems.
Ireland high-performance director Morten Espersen has launched a drive to get clubs to host the lightweight men. The aim, he says, is to create something similar to what he played a big part in creating in Denmark: a complement of athletes who are knocking on the door of the high-performance group. Even if they do not make it through the trials in the autumn, they keep their standards high and are ready next time.
Espersen cites the case of Jens Vilhelmsen (his son in law) who could be brought into the Denmark lightweight four when there was an illness. He was a part of a lightweight eight and ready to compete. They took a bronze medal in Poznan.
It took from 1960 to 1977 for the lightweight men’s programme in Denmark to take shape – it since been the most successful nation for its size in this class.
“We can do what it took 17 years to do in Denmark,” Espersen says. “What I’m trying to do is to do it straight away.”
The whole plan would be done on a voluntary basis. “It would be great if we had money,” he says, but contends that finances weren’t decisive in Denmark. “We were totally dependent on the clubs.”
Ireland has the base to match Denmark in time.
“Competitive rowing in Ireland is better. There are more clubs in Denmark, more registered members, but when you look at competitive rowing, Irish rowing is better. I see more potential.”
However, he is critical of the Irish rowers’ attitude to the long-term nature of reaching the top in a tough sport. “The problem is, once they are out of the selection system they go back to their old habits. They don’t focus on getting their erg scores down and that kind of thing. And it is because they are not part of any system.”
He also thinks that junior rowers, their clubs and their families have to be prepared to make more sacrifices if they are to hope for international success. He talks of the very promising junior quadruple which competed in the European Junior Championships.
“One of the problems with the [junior] quad, is there is all sorts of agendas that they must row with the clubs. And that’s great, they get a good time, fun and all that kind of thing. But when you talk about international junior rowing, these four guys should have been together since October or September right through the winter, every weekend. Although they were living in four or five places, they should move to the same place.”
Each year he faces Leaving Certificate students coming in and saying they have to scale back.
“In my eyes it’s just an excuse. I know people have to have their points and have to go on academically – but that’s how they [continue rowing in] all other places in the world.
“People have to change their culture around it. And that is what I am trying to push slowly – very slowly. It takes time.”
Carlow were certainly a busy club last weekend. Their own two-day regatta was a success, and on Sunday their men’s intermediate four finished second at London Metropolitan Regatta at Dorney Lake.
The Saturday had proved a day of wins for Irish crews: the women's crews from UCC and Shannon won the elite and intermediate two pair, respectively; Eric Rowan of Skibbereen won the senior single and Damien Kelly of Garda the intermediate two single, while NUIG won the intermediate one coxed four.
UCD had some good results on the Sunday, while NUIG placed second in the senior four. Trinity’s senior eight finished seventh.
