20 elite athletes are on a 10-day camp at Inniscarra Lake and will be joined by 46 others – including a big group of juniors.
Athletes met Olympic Council of Ireland’s Stephen Martin and Martin Burke and were updated on plans for London 2012, part of the OCI’s athlete engagement programme with athletes and team staff. Performance Director Martin McElroy and Head Coach Adrian Cassidy are already involved and contributing to this programme. The OCI also met with coach Robert Baker, strength and conditionist Ed Hallam, and physiotherapist Sara Jane MacDonnell.
The National Rowing Centre is a purpose-built facility which compares to any in Europe. It has large boat bays, athlete lounge, dining facilities, a gymnasium and a big collection of ergometers (rowing machines). Shortly Rowing’s general administration will also be based at the centre.
As most of the top athletes from the Beijing Olympiad have dropped away the focus group is under-23 athletes.
The 2010 season brought no medals at the senior World Championships but the Irish lightweight quadruple scull of Michael Maher, Justin Ryan, Niall Kenny and Mark O’Donovan took silver at the World Under-23 Championships. Other major highlights of the year included: the emergence of Claire Lambe (20) and Siobhán McCrohan (23) at international level ( pictured)
