Ireland’s rowers take fifth place at World Champs

Ireland’s LTA Mixed Fours adaptive rowing crew took fifth place in their A Final at the World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro in New Zealand today.

In a tough line up that saw Canada, Great Britain and Germany each taking a commanding lead from the first 500m, the Irish crew fought and took fifth place behind Argentina and finishing ahead of the USA in sixth place.

Team manager Joe Cunningham said: ‘This is the first time Ireland has had an adaptive crew in an A-final at a World Championships and this result shows there is a lot more to come, and we are on track for the 2012 Paralympics.’

In the Arms and Shoulders Men’s Singles category B final, sculler Karol Doherty took off and led the field in the first 500m; however, the Donegal man lost by just one second to the Australian sculler and took second place, eight over, finishing ahead of the USA, Poland and Spain.

LTA Mixed Fours crew: Kevin duToit (Reading BC), Shane Ryan (Castleconnell BC), Sarah Caffrey (Barnes Bridge Ladies BC) and Anne-Marie McDaid (Dublin Municipal RC) along with cox Helen Arbuthnot (Molesey BC).