Chambers will look to impress

ROWING:ONE OF THE more memorable images of last year for this reporter was encountering Peter Chambers at Munich Airport. After a downbeat World Championships for the Irish, Peter sat with his parents, who had every reason to look content - Richard Chambers, their elder son, had won gold in the Britain lightweight four. However, Peter was wearing an Ireland tracksuit top.

This weekend, Peter Chambers lines up alongside junior athletes in Cork at a national selection regatta. The Coleraine man was part of an Ireland quadruple scull that took silver and bronze at last year's Coupe de la Jeunesse.

The brothers highlight the extraordinary place Coleraine holds in rowing in these islands. Richard is set to represent Britain in Beijing alongside single sculler Alan Campbell, who is also from the town. But if the Irish lightweight four make it to Beijing, both men will be wishing the best to their Bann Club colleague Richard Archibald, who has taken silver (2005) and bronze (2006) medals at World Championships with the Ireland lightweight four.

Alongside the juniors in this weekend's trial will be others hoping to make their case for inclusion in non-Olympic squads this season. Siobhán McCrohan, a promising under-23 athlete, has decided not to compete while Orla Hayes and Liam Hayes will push for inclusion in any team for the World Under-23s in July. The decision on who will represent Ireland in the heavyweight women's boat has been kicked forward to the regatta in Piediluco next weekend.

The boats for the regatta, in which the Ireland lightweight squad will compete, are being sent tomorrow, and Sinead Jennings and Caroline Ryan will trial there, the successful one likely to go forward to the World Cup regatta in Munich in early May. Helen Walshe will not compete in Piediluco because of an injury.

The lightweight squad, which has been training in Blessington, will travel to Italy on Wednesday.