The Irish Team returned this week from the 2017 Coupe de la Jeunesse in Hazewinkel, Belgium, with a total of five gold medals – placing Ireland third on the medal table despite having just four boats at the event.
The “Coupe” is a European Junior regatta rowed over 2000m and competed for by thirteen European countries; Ireland, Great Britain, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic and Switzerland. The competition, which is a two-day team event with points awarded to nations based on finishing position in each category, took place last weekend. All four Irish crews reached the A Finals on both Saturday and Sunday, with both the women’s pair and the men’s quadruple scull going on to win gold on both days. Georgia O’ Brien of Kenmare Rowing Club also took gold in the women’s single sculls on Saturday, but found conditions tougher the following day placing fourth.
The women’s pair consisted of Fermoy Rowing Club’s Gill McGirr and Ellie O’Reilly, who also competed at this year’s Junior European Championships where they placed ninth overall. The men’s quadruple was made up of Matt Dundon from Clonmel RC, with James Quinlan from Castleconnell BC, Carlow RC’s Jack Keating and Cork BC’s Barry O’ Flynn. The men’s four – Enniskillen’s Aaron Johnston, Ross Corrigan, Nathan Timoney and Cork BC’s Barry Connolly – were fourth in the A Final in both days of the competition.
Team Manager Michelle Carpenter said, “The Coupe de la Jeunesse has proven to be a pathway for future international rowers with 75% of recent under 23 medallists coming from the last three years of the Irish Coupe team. This year we had an incredible group of young athletes who had worked extremely hard to get selected for this prestigious event. To focus so professionally on racing and have all crews in the top five among 13 European nations was an amazing achievement.”
She continued, “We would never have believed such success before our departure: with thirteen gold medals distributed and Ireland placing third overall in the medal table ahead of strong rowing countries such as Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic. We certainly punched well above our weight. Credit goes to the athletes and coaches, as well as the clubs and parents for supporting this group along their journey. The future continues to be bright for Irish rowing.”
It certainly does as yet another Irish Junior Team takes to the world stage this week. The 2017 World Rowing Junior Championships take place from 2nd to 6th of August in Trakai, Lithuania, and Rowing Ireland have sent one crew to the event – a women’s double scull consisting of Margaret Cremen of Lee Rowing Club and Aoife Casey of Skibbereen.
A huge entry of 742 rowers in 258 boats from 59 countries has been received for this year’s event, and a record entry in the junior women’s double sculls, with rowers from 28 countries taking part, means the path to the A Finals will be a challenging one. However, Cremen and Casey are a crew with valuable international experience, having already won Ireland’s first European Championship medal at Junior level back in May this year, when they won silver in Krefeld, Germany. The aim will now be to claim a World Championship medal before they move on from Junior competition next year.
The Irish double placed 3rd in their heat on Wednesday, resulting in direct progression to the quarterfinals and avoiding the repechages. This means the crew had a rest day today and face the quarterfinals tomorrow morning. Racing continues with semi-finals on Saturday and the A and B finals on Sunday.
