Olympic squad to follow trials

Rowing:The wind may have been battering this island in recent days, but the National Senior Time Trial fixed for Inniscarra tomorrow and Sunday will go ahead, according to the organisers.

"Sure, yes. Why wouldn't we?" replied national coach Harald Jahrling in reply to questions of whether the event will be staged. Jahrling was back in Cork yesterday after returning from the international training camp in Cyprus.

"At the moment it is quite windy, but it is not Saturday yet. So we will believe it when we will see it."

The Muckross Head of the River, which was scheduled to follow tomorrow's first day of the trial, has been cancelled, but Ireland team manager Mick O'Callaghan says the head organisers had needed about five hours of good conditions.

"What we're looking for is maybe two hours of rowable conditions," said O'Callaghan.

O'Callaghan is just back from a fact-finding mission in Beijing, where he said the Irish delegation were the first to see the rowing and canoeing course filled with water. He was impressed with the Olympic preparations and does not see major problems with transport or accommodation.

"We came back happy," he said.

Whether the Ireland team will come back happy in less than two years may at least be partly decided by events at Inniscarra this weekend. Jahrling will announce his Olympic squad on Sunday, which it is thought will be divided into A and B groups.

The A group are expected to be the 10 athletes who finished in the top 10 at the recent World Championships, while more interest will centre on the next group - and, in particular, whether Sam Lynch is part of it.

Jahrling says he is not even expecting athletes to be fully confirmed as lightweights or heavyweights at this stage.

"The decision has to be made by the beginning of March. People like Sam, he's still got time to see if he can make the weight that is actually required."

Jahrling is particularly pleased that in this selection event everybody will start out in a single scull.

There will be a meeting of the executive of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union in Inniscarra tomorrow, when a decision will be made as to whether the Commercial Regatta will be on the calendar next year.

The regatta had not fully paid its dues from last year, but it is understood this will be done.