The Irish Indoor Rowing Championships are coming up this Saturday, 17 January, and some promising results are expected in the junior women’s 2000m event.
Unlike some years, there are not many out-and-out frontrunners within this year’s entries. This leaves room for plenty of exciting racing to come.
Clóda Phillips (St. Michael’s Rowing Club)
Clóda Phillips of St. Michael’s Rowing Club is, in my opinion, the most recognised name among this year’s entries. She is also the highest-ranked of the returners for the junior women’s 2000m. Phillips is a widely decorated junior rower and will be looking to send off her junior rowing career with a strong performance at the indoor regatta this weekend.
Isabelle Neff (Cork Boat Club)
Isabelle Neff of Cork Boat Club is another recognised name of the entries for this weekend, she is the second highest ranked of this year’s returners, Neff will be looking to have a strong performance this weekend. A two-time Home International competitor, Neff definitely has some experience to back up a strong finish on Saturday.
Kate Dunne (Wicklow Rowing Club)
Kate Dunne of Wicklow Rowing Club, usually known for being a talented Beach Sprint Rower, having competed at the World Beach Sprint Championships in Turkey this past November, is another athlete capable of a strong result this weekend. Dunne recently picked up two Irish records in both the half-marathon and the 60 minutes for the women’s 15-16 category. With this impressive feat Kate Dunne is definitely one to watch this weekend.
Several J16s have made the jump up since Provincial Indoor Rowing Championships in November, Olivia Kiely of Cork Boat Club had a strong performance in November winning the J16 category and will be looking to pull off another impressive score this weekend. Hannah Murphy of Colaiste Bríde, Enniscorthy was second to Kiely in November and will also be looking to back up another strong performance this weekend.
Overall the competition is a very open field with opportunity for anyone to take the win. This will lead to some very exciting racing for all those competing and spectating this weekend.
