Rowing Ireland’s first outing since the Olympic Games and World Championships last year took place this weekend. The event is held at the Italian national Centre in Piediluco The memorial Paolo d’Aloja; International Regatta was established to honour the memory of Paolo d’Aloja, President of the Italian Rowing Federation in the 70’s and 80’s.
The regatta is always a good pulse check to launch the regatta season, and a large cohort of entries was from Italy, Greece and South Africa. With crews travelling from Serbia and Romania.
The three days event saw good first results for the Rowing Ireland crews
Saturday’s results started with a silver medal for Gary O’Donovan in the Men’s lightweight single and a silver medal for U19 Holy Davis.
With Olympic Bronze medalist Fiona Murtagh paired the experienced Tara Hanlon taking a silver medal in the Women’s pair, followed by the pair of Natalie Long and Zoe Hyde in the Bronze medal position.
Many of the lightweight crews showed strong form in open weight events.
Conditions were very challenging on Saturday, and racing began on Sunday with more results for all crews.
A top podium finish for Fiona Murtagh and Tara Hanlon, winning the Women’s pair and a Bronze medal for Natalie Long and Zoe Hyde in the same event. It was fitting to see Diana Dymchenko from Ukraine compete at the event and stand tall on the podium, with Rowing Ireland’s Emily Hegarty taking the bronze medal in the same event.
Lydia Heaphy took a silver medal in the Women’s Lightweight single.
Holly Davis finished the regatta well with a bronze medal in the U19 single
The team will now spend the next two weeks at a training camp in the North of Italy to prepare for the season ahead.
Final results
LM1x Gary O’Donovan Silver medal
WU19 Holly Davis Silver medal
W2x Lydia Heaphy and Margaret Cremen 4th Place
M2x Fintan McCarthy and Jake McCarthy 7th Place
W2- Tara Hanlon and Fiona Murtagh Silver medal
W2- Zoe Hyde and Natalie Long Bronze medal
W1x Aoife Casey 4th Place
W1x Emily Hegarty 5th place
W1x Alison Bergin 6th place
Sunday results
W2- Tara Hanlon and Fiona Murtagh Gold medal
W2- Natalie Long and Zoe Hyde Bronze medal
W1x Emily Hegarty Bronze medal
W1x Alison Bergin 8th place
WL1X Lydia Heaphy Silver medal
WU19 Holly Davis Bronze medal
W2x Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen 4th Place
M2x Fintan McCarthy and Gary O’Donovan 4th place
The team consisted of the following crews:
Tara Hanlon (UCC) and Fiona Murtagh (NUIG) in the Women’s pair
Natalie Long (Killorglin RC) and Zoe Hyde (Killorglin RC) in the Women’s pair
Alison Bergin (Fermoy RC) in the Women’s single
Emily Hegerty (UCC)in the Women’s single
Holly Davis (LVRC) in the U19 Women’s single
The lightweight group of
Margaret Cremen (UCCRC), Lydia Heaphy (Skibbereen RC), Aoife Casey (Skibbereen RC),
Gary O’Donovan (Skibbereen RC), Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen RC), Jake McCarthy (Skibbereen RC)
The HP coaching team
HPD: Antonio Maurogiovanni
Coaches: Giuseppe de Vita, Leah O’Regan and Dominic Casey
Operations officer: Michael O’Rourke
