Strong Ireland Rowing Team Takes on World Cup Challenge

14th June 2017

Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll with European Gold.

#Rowing: The 2017 World Cup series heads to Poznan, Poland for the second of three regattas in 2017. Almost 500 athletes will compete from 39 countries with several countries, including Australia, China and New Zealand, arriving on the international scene for the first time this season. The event will be staged from 16th-18th June 2017 on Lake Malta, near the city centre of Poznan.

The Olympic gold and silver medallists from the lightweight men’s double sculls are back racing each other again. France’s Jeremie Azou and Pierre Houin and the O’Donovan brothers from Ireland met last month at the European Rowing Championships with the Olympic order staying the same. Both of these talented crews will race strong opposition from Poland and Great Britain.

The Irish team in full to compete at the event is as follows:

Lightweight men’s double sculls: Gary O’Donovan (Skibbereen Rowing Club), Paul O’Donovan (UCD Boat Club)

Lightweight men’s pair: Mark O’Donovan (Skibbereen Rowing Club), Shane O’Driscoll (Skibbereen Rowing Club)

Women’s single sculls: Sanita Puspure (Old Collegians Boat Club) and also Monika Dukarska (Killorglin Rowing Club)

Lightweight women’s single sculls: Denise Walsh (Skibbereen RC)

Women’s pair: Aileen Crowley (UCD BC), Aifric Keogh (UCC RC)

Ireland will also be sending three para-athletes to Poznan, for classification only, with the view to building a Team for the 2018 season; Marianne Watchorn (Trinity), Aaron Stokes (Castleconnell) and Damien Dulea from Quintin RC in London, originally from Cork. Poznan will be the first World Rowing event where Para-Rowing is raced on the same “field of play” at 2’000 metres following the decision taken at the FISA Extraordinary Congress last February in Tokyo.

Racing begins on Friday 16th June with heats for the para-rowing boat classes. Racing then moves on to World Cup and International boat classes, progressing through repechages, semifinals and on to the finals. The first finals will be raced on Saturday afternoon 17th June starting with the para-rowing finals, followed by International boat class finals. World Cup finals will take place on Sunday 18th June.

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About The Author

Liam Gorman

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Liam Gorman is a writer and reporter. He is the co-author of Little Lady, One Man, Big Ocean, published in the United States and Canada as Crossing the Swell. He is the rowing correspondent of the Irish Times.

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