Coakley set for lightweight role

ROWING/Selection regatta:Richard Coakley moved into pole position to secure a place in Ireland's most successful crew, the lightweight four, on day one of the first national selection regatta at the National Rowing Centre in Cork yesterday.

The 23-year-old Skibbereen man has in his own words "been number five in the past couple of years" in the Ireland set-up, but he is ready to step up into the big time, and was an impressive winner of the lightweight men's final from his brother, Eugene, with Richard Archibald third.

Sam Lynch, who might have challenged for the place in the four vacated by Gearóid Towey, was not at the trial yesterday, and when asked was he still in the reckoning, national coach Harald Jahrling was cooler than the biting wind. "He's not here. If you don't present yourself and don't give a reason you cannot say you are in. Let's talk about the ones who are here."

Seán Jacob, who had been suffering from a cold, proved himself by far the best heavyweight single sculler. Jahrling said the 34-year-old, who seems to be moving on to a new level after a few seasons in the international set-up, would remain in the single, with the aim of qualifying a boat for the Olympics at this year's World Championships.

Caroline Ryan beat Sinéad Jennings into second in the women's single scull final, a first for the heavyweight Garda oarswoman over her lightweight opponent, who had been showing outstanding form of late.

Jennings, who is a medical student, was called to tend to Niamh Ní Cheilleachair, who collapsed and fell into the lake. As a precautionary measure, the Offaly woman was taken to hospital by ambulance.