Colin helps Irish team to first ever bronze medal

BANBRIDGE man Colin Williamson has helped Ireland to a bronze medal at World University Rowing Championships in Szeged, Hungary.

Colin, who attends Queen's University, is one of six members of the eight-man team to attend the university.

The medal is the first ever to be won by an Irish eight at a world rowing final.

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Head Rowing Coach at Queen’s Mark Fangan-Hall also trained the bronze-winning crew. The remaining two crew members are from University College Dublin.

The third place is another feather in the cap for the men from Queen’s Rowing who earlier this year became the only team from the UK and Ireland to make the semi-final of the world’s largest rowing event, The Henley Royal Regatta.

In all 29 countries were represented in the championships at Szeged, including crews from top-rowing nations Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, China and GB. In the final, the Irish crew pulled ahead of France, but narrowly missed out to Estonia who took silver. Great Britain’s crew claimed the gold.

The competition, which brings together the world’s best student rowers, is a key event in the world rowing calendar and acts as a building block to competing at Olympic level.

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Fangen Hall said: “In contention for medals were many favourites including GB and France, but our lads rowed beyond the limit in soaring temperatures to claim a placing. It is rare to see such controlled commitment over such an extended period of time. They more than deserve their medal.”

Congratulating the rowers, Isabel Jennings, Director of Student Plus at Queen’s said: “This victory illustrates what can be achieved when talent and determination are matched by investment in coaching and facilities.

"Sport is an integral part of the student experience at Queen’s. I am delighted to see that our continued investment in sport is helping our talented students get the results they deserve and is making Queen’s a destination of choice for the best sporting talent around.”

The successful Ireland crew in Hungary consisted of Dave Neale from Offlay(UCD); Finbar Manning from Dublin(UCD); Jonathan Mitchell from Coleraine (Queen’s); Eoin MacDomhnaill from Dublin (Queen’s); Colin Williamson from Banbridge (Queen’s); Abdulrahman Mohamed from Armagh (Queen’s); Marc Butler from Belfast (Queen’s); James Graham from Belfast (Queen’s) and Andrew Tubman, cox, from Belfast (Queen’s). Head Coach, Mark Fangen-Hall (Queen’s). Team Manager (non-travelling): Robert Baker from Rowing Ireland.

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Next on the agenda for Fange n-Hall and the students from Queen’s is the European Rowing Championships in Amsterdam from August 19-21. All nine of the crew are from Queen’s will compete at the event representing British Universities.

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