|
|
D’Ursos defend their Irish crown
10.07.09
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent
AS CULDAFF rowers Laura and Claire D’Urso prepare to
defend their Double Scull title at the National
Rowing Championships in Cork this weekend, the older
of the siblings, Laura, has been handed a boost by
getting the nod to compete for Ireland at the World
Junior Championships in France in August.
D’Urso has will accompany Lisa Dilleen in the Double
Scull. Both the single and the double won on
successive days at the prestigious Munich Junior
Regatta last month, and Ireland’s performance
director Martin McElroy had been considering sending
Dilleen which would have left D’Urso kicking her
heels at home.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent, the
Carndonagh Community School Leaving Cert student
said she was relieved and excited to be going to the
World championships.
“I have been based in Galway for the last month
training with Lisa, so I was happy when the coach
made the decision,” said Laura. |
 |
Despite blowing away
the competition at the Munich Regatta in May, The
City of Derry rower expects the World Championships
to be a big step up in class.
“The Americans and the Chinese will have their best
crews there. We haven’t had a chance to see them
race and have tried to find out the their times, but
can’t get them anywhere.”
To prepare for the biggest race of their lives Laura
and Lisa have been working with Australian
Ex-Olympic rower Marguerite Houston.
“We have worked hard on changing our technique over
the last couple of months and it has improved our
times,” said Laura.
Laura is currently at home training with her sister
for this weekend’s Irish Championships, but her main
focus is peaking in time for the World Championships
in four weeks time.
“I was supposed to go to the Henly Regatta, but
there was a mix up in the entry, and there is a race
in Amsterdam coming up but now that I know I am
going to the World Championships, I will be staying
in Galway for the next three weeks to prepare.” |
|
