Tremendous performance as Tipperary rowers win silver at European Indoor Championships

Clonmel Rowing Club’s mixed relay team of Alan Prendergast, Christine Fanning, Hannah McMahon and Brendan Wall won silver medals at the European Indoor Rowing Championships, held in conjunction with the World Indoor Championships in Prague last weekend.

This was a fantastic result for the team but especially for the two girls, Christine and Hannah, who come from the Crossfit community, and is testament to the growing popularity of Indoor Rowing as a sport in its own right.

In the relay each member has to row 250 metres before handing over to their teammate and then repeat the cycle until 2,000 metres has been covered in as short a time as possible. The team put in a gut-bursting performance to take the silver medal behind the flying Finns and six seconds ahead of the fast-finishing German team.

The Clonmel team had their fastest-ever time of five minutes, 44 seconds for the 2,000 metres.

To put that in context, Paul O’Donovan recently became the third lightweight rower in history to dip under six minutes for the 2,000 metres with a score of five minutes 58 seconds.

The team’s second place in the Europeans was good enough to bring them into fifth spot in the World Championships.

Congratulations all round on this wonderful achievement.

Daire Lynch, who recently won the Tipperary Sports Star of the Year award, is in a training camp in Italy.

Michelle O’Halloran is looking for people to join the Clonmel club’s lotto, where there are super cash prizes and holidays. If you want to support the great work that the club is doing check the Facebook page for the lotto details.

On the home front the juniors and adult rowers have been unable to get on the water due to high water levels but this hasn't stopped them from putting in the hard graft on the ergometer.

We will see how meticulous the training has been when they go to Cork Head of River (HOR) on this Saturday.