Ireland’s successful young female rowing duo, Lisa Dilleen and Laura D’Urso, join forces again this week when they compete in the Junior World Championship in Brive, France which takes place between the 5th and 8th August.
Lisa Dilleen, the 18-year-old Galway rower from Tribesmen Rowing Club, is undoubtedly one of the rising stars of Irish rowing. Rowing for five years now since 2004, she has built up an impressive national and international winning record at all levels and won a Sports Star award for rowing achievements in 2008 whilst being named Afloat magazine’s Rower of the Month in May this year.
Laura D’Urso, the same age, who hails from Donegal and rows for the City of Derry Club, has been rowing for six years. She made an immediate impact in her first year, setting the record at the British Indoor Rowing Championships for the Junior 12 category at her first attempt in 2003. Within a year of entering the sport, Laura was picked to represent Ireland at the Home Internationals and has gone on to win top honours at national level winning a string of Junior Championship medals.
However, their real success has been gained as a team competing in the double scull where they have picked up gold medals at last year’s Coupe de la Jeunesse (European Junior Rowing Championships) and at the World Cup International Regatta in Munich earlier this year.
Rowing Ireland coach, Gearóid Mitchell, said today, “Both girls know that the opposition at the World Junior Championships will be of the highest calibre but we are quietly confident that the Irish crew will be up to the challenge.’’
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