Rowers on form at the Indoor Championships
SLIGO Rowing Club recently travelled to Limerick to compete at the Irish Provinces Indoor Rowing Championships which was hosted at UL. This is the first indoor competitive event of the 2020 racing season and sees rowing athletes complete time trials over distances ranging from 500 to 2000metres on indoor rowing ergometers against athletes of their age group from all around Ireland.
The event is an ideal event to gauge how members are progressing when compared to their peers and the performances of the young and Masters Sligo athletes didn’t disappoint.
A total of 16 athletes from Sligo Rowing Club participated in the championships in various categories ranging from Junior 13 right up to Masters with 6 of the 16 making their racing debuts for the club.
Orla Kavanagh-Beirne, Amelia McCarthy, Derwell and Margot Jaffre, Padraig Cosgrave and Marieke Spoorenberg all competed for their first time putting in some very strong times considering they just joined the sport only a few short weeks ago.
Orlaith Kavanagh-Beirne and Padraig Cosgrave rowed particularly well on their debuts both winning silver medals for their individual categories. Orlaith was first up for the club in the opening race of the day competing in a 3-minute time trial in the women’s junior 13 category with a fine performance of 767metres winning her the silver medal. Padraig equally raced a great race in the men’s junior 18 category in a 1000 metre sprint where he also won second place taking the silver medal home to Ballinfad for Sligo Rowing Club with a very fast time of 3:42.
The more experienced juniors including Rosie Spoorenberg, David Murray, Bella Michalopoulou Andrew Waters, Alannah Donohoe, Diya Ryan, Ava Murray and Naoise Walsh all demonstrated improved performances over last year.
They put in some very strong times with Alannah reaping the rewards of a dedicated and robust training programme winning second position in the women’s junior 15 category clocking up 1314 metres over her 5 minute time trial which was just 20 metres off pole position.
Club Masters including Molua Donohoe and Kate McEnroe also didn’t disappoint in their respective categories. Kate was first out winning a hard fought and well deserved third position in her 1000 metre sprint pulling a very strong and personal best of 3.48.9 seconds.
Molua showed his experience racing a strong tactical race winning silver in his 2000 metre sprint reeling in and overtaking his opposition over the last 300 metres with a hard fought and well deserved time of 7:17.9 seconds.
The club now looks forward to attending the neighbouring Carrick-on-Shannon 4km Head of the River scheduled for next week weather depending with Sligo Head of the River now in the national rowing calendar for February 10th 2020.