Nearly 600 rowers will take part in Rowing Ireland’s Indoor Championships this Saturday at Dublin City University’s Sports Centre.
The record entry of 588 rowers makes the competition one of Ireland’s biggest indoor events, attracting athletes from England, France, Germany and Italy. Rowers across all age groups will compete in the one day event.
A number of rowers will be competing to break the six-minute record for the 2000 metres - including Colm Wilkinson (Queens), Finbar Manning (UCD), David Neale (UCD) and former Irish international Seán Jacob (UCD).
Event organiser, Rowing Ireland Development Officer, Lisa Hayden said: ‘This is one of the biggest entries for an indoor sports event and is further proof that indoor rowing has finally arrived as a serious competitive sport.
‘Internationally, indoor rowing has moved from being a rower’s, rehabilitation, warm-up tool to being considered as a sport in its own right practiced by millions globally every week.
‘Our goal has been to attract entrants of all levels of fitness and ability and we’ve managed this with a range from twelve years old to the eldest competitor, 70-year-old Richard Morgan, a grandfather from Cork.
‘We’ve a balance of 60% men and 40% women competing and in one category we have a mother, Marie D’Urso (City of Derry), competing against her international rowing daughter, Laura D’Urso, also City of Derry.'
Indoor rowing was initiated as a sport nearly thirty years ago in 1981 and the first World Championships took place in Boston, USA in 1982.
In Ireland, the first Indoor Rowing Championships, organised by Olympic medal winning coach John Holland was held in 2002.
