Jennings shows real character

Rowing/World Cup regatta: Sinead Jennings was the one unqualified Irish success story of the first day of the World Cup regatta in Eton yesterday.

The Donegal woman qualified for this morning's semi-finals of the lightweight single sculls, but the other six crews could not avoid the repechage route.

Despite being in the middle of medical exams Jennings took the second place she needed in her heat. "I'm wrecked after my exams. But I just about did enough," said Jennings, characteritically disappointed about not actually winning her race.

"I don't know how she did it today," said Ireland coach Harald Jahrling. "She was exhausted after 20 strokes. But she did what an experienced person does."

The newness of the other Ireland crews was reflected in their performances. The lightweight women's double of Niamh Ní Cheilleachair and Heather Boyle finished last in their heat, making up for it somewhat by qualifying through last evening's repechage.

The men's pair of Marc Stephens and John Forde, who finished well down on heat winners Niksa and Sinisa Skelin, the Olympic silver medallists, also found their way back to the semi-finals through their repechage. However, Siobhan Jacob faces into a C final this afternoon after not making the cut.

Ireland's three other crews have repechages today. The premier men's lightweight four of Eugene and Richard Coakley along with Danny O'Dowd and Diarmaid MacColgain could finish only third in their heat, which they needed to win to go directly to tomorrow's final.

The result was identical for the men's four of Seán Jacob, Seán Casey, Cormac Folan and Alan Martin, and they, too, must hope to make the final by the repechage route. "If they don't get through it's back to the drawing board and make another plan," said Jahrling.

One man who has succeeded in the Irish jersey did have a good day yesterday, however. In the men's lightweight double scull, Meathman James Lindsay-Fynn, now based in London and competing for Britain, made it through directly to the semi-final of the lightweight double scull.

Lindsay-Fynn took a bronze medal for Ireland in the lightweight quadruple scull at the World Championships in 1999.