Lack of preparation shows as Irish exit

A WEEK may be a long time in politics, but it falls somewhere short of what is needed in building a rowing team, a fact that three Irish crews thrown together in the last week discovered on their way out of the World Championship repechages at Strathclyde in Scotland yesterday.

With only the first two crews going through to the A finals, the lightweight eight, coxed pair and women's coxless four were at this level shown to be short of cohesion and experience. It was, as everyone concerned reminded themselves in disappointment, "a good experience" for the squad's development crews.

The lightweight eight, on the water together for only six days, finished third in their repechage, having earlier looked strong for a qualifying place. At the 1,000 metre half way mark, the Irish were lying second, a length down on Canada but having passed the British crew. The push did not last the distance as it had to, and order was restored by the last 250 metres.

"The lack of time together probably told over the second half of the race and in the headwind we lacked the cohesion you need at this level," said Adrian Smith, who with Paul Flannery, Sam Lynch and Derek Holland bolstered what was essentially an under 23 boat. "We went out to improve the first 500 metres, but when the other crews went for their push we didn't respond."

Similarly disadvantaged, the women's coxless four of Vanessa Lawrenson, Debbie Stack, Mary Hussey and Susan O'Brien had been left for dead in their heat and suffered again from a sluggish first 500 metres in their repechage. Halfway, and the Germans and Chinese were in the distance but, encouragingly, the British were still within reach a length ahead at first, three at the end in headwinds that lengthened both strokes and times.

Before the B final on Sunday there will be some prayers for tailwinds. Next year the combination may be changed, the women's convenor, Michael O'Callaghan, has said. Lawrenson and Stack are likely to stay.

Also secure in the national setup are Donal Hanrahan and Brian Collins who, with cox Jer Fahy, revived Irish heavyweight rowing at this level after its nine year absence with a race that saw them miss the A final by a canvas.

The two Limerick oarsmen led the field for the first 1,000 metres when the Romanians moved past them to take half a length. Pressure from the Greek pair behind finally told in the last 250 metres. Collins and Hanrahan lifted their rate for the closing 20 strokes but failed to capture second place.

Throughout the race their strike rate never got above 33 in the headwind and it is expected that these will be the last championships in which the coxed pairs, affectionately known as "the slave ship", will be raced.

FISA, rowing's governing body, are also to discuss the future of other classes this week, with the possibility of the lightweight four and eight events being raced only at the Olympics, according to one source.