Early morning training on Blessington Lakes for rowers hoping to compete at the Olympic Games.
Irish rowers Neville Maxwell and Tony O'Connor are in training hoping to qualify for the Sydney Olympic Games in the summer of 2000. Under the watchful eye of coach Peter Buckley the rowers go through their paces on the still, cold waters of Blessington Lakes.
The hard slog starts here.
The pair are currently training a dozen times a week in an effort to make the Olympic grade. Later this week, the pair will travel to Seville in Spain for six weeks training ahead of the qualifying regatta which takes place in July. Neville Maxwell explains that the next three months of training are critical to their chance of success.
Tony O'Connor and Neville Maxwell narrowly missed out on a medal at the Atlanta games in 1996 taking fourth position in the lightweight fours.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 16 January 2000. The reporter is Gareth O'Connor.
