# ROWING: Niall Kenny was the fastest man on the water at the Rowing Ireland National Assessments in Newry today. The 23 year old lightweight clocked 19 minutes 15 seconds for the five kilometres in the incessant rain. It was a good day for Galway competitors as the fastest crew was the heavyweight men’s pair of Fionnan McQuillan-Tolan and Sean O’Connor. Kenny was ranked as having hit 86.6 per cent of the projected world best time for his grade, but junior single sculler Bridget Jacques performed best of all on this rating, with a mark of 87.8 per cent. She was the third fastest woman after senior heavyweights Sanita Puspure and Monika Dukarska.

# ROWING: Adam Boreham of Belfast Boat Club, a heavyweight under-23 athlete, topped the rankings in ergometer (rowing machine) times on the first day of the Rowing Ireland Assessment in Newry today. Justin Ryan of Skibbereen was the fastest lightweight, with a time of six minutes 14 seconds, seven seconds slower than Boreham for the 2,000 metres. Gareth McKillen of RBAI topped a very competitive junior grade, clocking a remarkable six minutes 22 seconds.

The fastest woman was Sanita Puspure, clocking 6:40.5, and junior athlete Bridget Jacques clocked 7:04.4. The fastest lightweight was under-23 athlete Denise Walsh. Claire Lambe and Siobhan McCrohan were exempted on sick notes.

Tomorrow’s time trial on Newry Canal, scheduled for 11 o’clock, has been brought forward at least a half an hour because of concerns about the weather.

# ROWING: St Joseph’s of Galway had a good day at the Castleconnell/Bulls and Bears head of the river on the Shannon on Saturday. The Junior 18A eight from the school was the fastest crew and the Junior 18A quadruple also won.

Castleconnell Bulls and Bears Head of the River, Saturday (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Junior 18A: 1 St Joseph’s 10:06, 2 St Joseph’s B 10:14, 3 Col Iognaid 10:45. Junior 16: 1 St Joseph’s 10:56, 2 St Joseph’s B 11:06, 3 Col Iognaid 11:13. Masters: Shannon C 11:42.

Four – Intermediate One, Coxed: 1 Col Iognaid 11:29, 2 Fossa 11:34, 3 St Michael’s 11:52.

Pair – Senior: 1 St Michael’s G 11:15, 2 St Michael’s E 11:19, 3 Castleconnell/Clonmel 11:36. Junior 18A: 1 Clonmel 11:59, 2 Presentation Col 12:45, 3 Commercial 12:54.

Sculling, Quadruple, coxed – Junior 18A: 1 St Joseph’s 10:14, 2 Athlone 10:48, 3 Presentation Col 10:58. Junior 16: 1 Commercial 11:24, 2 Clonmel 11:27, 3 Presentation Col 11:39.

Double – Intermediate: 1 St Michael’s 11:13, 2 Garda 11:28, 3 St Michael’s B 11:40. Junior 18A: 1 Commercial B 12:13, 2 Commercial A 12:18, 3 Presentation Col B 12:28. Junior 16: 1 Castleconnell 11:57, 2 Clonmel 12:05, Athlone 12:05.

Single – Senior: 1 Commercial (D’Estelle Roe) 12:12, 2 Commercial (Gleeson) 12:32, 3 Offaly (O’Donoghue) 13:15. Intermediate One: 1 St Michael’s (Lazda) 12:29, 2 Commercial (Yeomans) 12:30, 3 University of Limerick (Haugh) 12:34. Novice: 1 Clonmel (Murphy) 12:44, 2 Clonmel (Chadfield) 12:57, 3 Offaly (Gannon) 13:52. Junior 18A: 1 Athlone (Molloy) 12:16, 2 Commercial (Yeomans) 12:31, 3 Commercial (Yeomans) 12:37, 4 St Michael’s (Despard) 12:37. Masters: Offaly (Hussey) 13:17. Junior 16: 1 St Michael’s (O’Malley) 12:05, 2 Neptune (Flynn) 12:45, 3 St Michael’s (O’Connor) 12:49.

Women

Eight – Novice: 1 Commercial 13:29, 2 Univ of Limerick B 14:43. Junior 18A: 1 Shannon 11:36, 2 Commercial 13:11, 3 Castleconnell 13:29. Junior 16: 1 Shannon 12:40, 2 Shannon B 12:51, 3 Commercial 15:39.

Four – Novice, coxed: 1 Commercial 12:52, 2 Athlone 13:32, 3 Commercial B 16:20.

Pair – Junior: Commercial 14:45.

Sculling

Junior 16, coxed: 1 St Michael’s B 12:58, 2 Col Iognaid 13:18, 3 St Michael’s F 13:19.

Double – Junior 18A: 1 St Michael’s E 13:07, 2 Commercial 13:16, 3 Clonmel 13:43. Junior 16: 1 Col Iognaid 13:37, 2 Tralee B 13:57, 3 Offaly 14:34.

Single – Intermediate: 1 Commercial (Foley) 13:39, 2 St Michael’s (McEvoy) 13:48, 3 Garda (Holden) 14:38. Novice: 1 Commercial (Foley) 13:58, 2 Shannon (Ryan) 14:27, 3 Univ of Limerick (O’Sullivan) 14:56. Junior 18A: 1 Commercial (Rodger) 14:14, 2 St Michael’s B (Sheehan) 14:36, 3 Castleconnell (Donegan) 14:42. Junior 16: 1 Commercial (Lambe) 14:00, 2 St Michael’s (Murphy) 14:05, 3 Castleconnell (Griffin) 14:31.

# ROWING: One hundred and three competitors took to the water in clear and sunny conditions in the first National Assessment of the new season in Newry this morning. Eddie Mullarkey of NUIG had set the fastest time in the ergometer tests on Saturday, while Sanita Puspure was far and away the fastest woman. Junior competitors showed themselves to have stepped up significantly in standard since last year. Hilary Shinnick and Bridget Jacques topped the junior women’s rankings – with Shinnick pipping her rival by .1 of a second.

# ROWING: Martin McElroy, who was the Ireland high performance director from 2009 to 2012, has been chosen as performance director for men’s rowing in Canada. The Galway native, who is 49, came to prominence when he guided the Britain men’s eight to gold in Sydney in 2000. He and his team had some success at under-23 level in Ireland, with the highlight being a silver medal for the lightweight men’s quadruple scull at  the 2010 World Under-23 Championships. However, at Olympic level, just one Irish athlete competed at London 2012. Sanita Puspure finished 13th in the women’s single scull.

Outgoing coach Mike Spracklen, who led the Canadian men's eight to wins at the 1992 and 2008 Olympic Games as well as a silver medal at the London 2012 Games, has not had his contract renewed. A controversy has erupted at the decision, with Spracklen speaking of a vendetta by oarsman Scott Frandsen, who has criticised his methods.

# ROWING: Ireland will have three A Finalists at the World University Rowing Championships in Kazan in Russia. Niall Kenny joined Claire Lambe in the last six of the lightweight single sculls by finishing second in his semi-final this morning, and the all-Queen’s University women’s four took third in their repechage to secure their place at the top table.

The men’s four finished third in their repechage, missing out on a place in the A Final. Italy and Russia secured the top two spots.

World University Rowing Championships, Kazan, Russia – Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Four – Repechage (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Italy 6:45.36, 2 Russia 6:47.49; 3 Ireland (S O’Driscoll, S O’Connor, E Mullarkey, T Lynam) 6:55.40, 4 Czech Republic 7:03.36, 5 Ukraine 7:15.06.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Semi-Final Two (Three to A Final): 2 Ireland (N Kenny).

Women

Four – Repechage (First Four to A Final): 1 Poland 7:28.96, 2 Ukraine 7:32.44, 3 Ireland (A Greene, E Kerrigan, H Lavery, C McIlwaine) 7:39.82, 4 New Zealand 7:40.17; 5 Norway 7:43.28.

# ROWING: Three of the four Ireland crews are bound for repechages after the first round of competition at the World University Rowing Championships in Kazan in Russia. The men’s four finished fourth in their heat and the women’s four third in theirs. Lightweight single sculler Niall Kenny finished fourth in a heat he led for for the first 1,000 metres.

Ireland’s day started with a fine win for Claire Lambe in her heat of the lightweight single sculls and she will go into Sunday’s final as one of the favourites.

World University Rowing Championships, Kazan, Russia – Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Four – Heat Two (First Two to A Final; rest to Repechage): 4 Ireland (E Mullarkey, S O’Connor, S O’Driscoll, T Lynam).

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Two (First Three to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Switzerland 7:07.60, 2 Poland 7:08.95, 3 Italy 7:09.48; 4 Ireland (N Kenny) 7:29.71.

Women

Four – Heat Two (Winner to A Final, rest to Repechage): 1 Russia 6:51.90; 2 Poland 7:04.19, 3 Ireland (A Greene, E Kerrigan, H Lavery, C McIlwaine) 7:17.07.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Two (First Two to A Final, rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (C Lambe) 7:53.86, 2 New Zealand (L Tester) 7:59.70; 3 Czech Republic 8:02.39, 4 Mexico 8:27.96, 5 Italy 8:40.06.

# ROWING: Claire Lambe won her heat to qualify directly for the A Final of the lightweight single sculls at the World University Championships at Kazan in Russia this morning. The 22-year-old Dubliner is Ireland’s top hope of a medal. Niall Kenny finished fourth in his heat of the lightweight single and must compete in a repechage as must the women’s four, who finished third in their heat.

#ROWING: Two athletes who represented Ireland at senior level in the recent World Rowing Championships are part of the country’s team for the World University Rowing Championships which take place in Kazan in Russia this weekend. Claire Lambe and Niall Kenny will compete in the lightweight single sculls. Lambe finished 11th in Bulgaria and Kenny 15th.

Lambe also placed fourth at the World Under-23 Championships, and the Ireland men’s four is built around the crew which finished 11th at that event, with Shane O’Driscoll replacing Finbarr Manning. A women’s openweight four will also compete.

Ireland Team for World University Championships, Kazan, Russia

Men – Four: E Mullarkey, S O’Connor, S O’Driscoll, T Lynam. Lighweight Single Scull: N Kenny.

Women – Four: A Greene, E Kerrigan, H Lavery, C McIlwaine. Lightweight Single Scull: C Lambe.

# ROWING: Ireland’s adaptive coxed four finished fourth in their B Final, 10th overall, at the Paralympic Rowing Regatta at Eton Dorney this morning. The crew of Anne-Marie McDaid, Sarah Caffrey, Shane Ryan, Kevin du Toit and cox Helen Arbuthnot fought it out for third with Brazil, finishing just .14 of a second behind the South Americans. Canada battled with France at the head of the field and won.

Britain beat Germany in the A Final to win gold, with the Ukraine taking bronze.

Paralympic Rowing Regatta, Eton Dorney – Day Three (Irish interest)

Legs, Trunks and Arms Mixed Coxed Four – B Final (Places 7-12): 1 Canada 3:31.17, 2 France 3:32.01, 3 Brazil 3:36.58, 4 Ireland (A-M McDaid, S Caffrey, S Ryan, K du Toit; cox: H Arbuthnot) 3:36.72, 5 Russia 3:42.73, 6 Belarus 3:45.18. A Final: 1 Britain 3:19.38, 2 Germany 3:21.44, 3 Ukraine 3:23.22, 4 China 3:23.43, 5 Italy 3:27.91, 6 United States 3:30.06.