Crowley on Cloud Nine after stunning World Masters display
DENIS Crowley from Lucan dominated at last week’s World Masters Rowing Regatta in Bordeaux, capturing no less than nine gold medals.
The Commercials clubman made it a hat-trick in both singles and fours competition, while twice topping the podium with the Eights crew and once in double sculls.
Crowley competed in three singles events in the D (50 years & over), E (55 & over) and F (60 & over) divisions, winning every one.
“The highlight win in the singles for me was F. Believe it or not, it was by far the toughest” recalled the Dubliner.
“I would have expected the competition to be dying off [as the race went on], but Ansgar Wesseling from Essen in Germany, was really good and he finished second.
“It was a really tough race, neck and neck, but I managed to beat him in the end. He really pushed me all the way.
“In the E race, I was leading all the way and quite comfortable, while in the D race, I was being beaten most of the way by Andrej Smilovic from Croatia, but I knew I always had it in me to win” he said.
Of the 160 scullers in the F grade, Crowley’s time of 3.54 was the fastest.
For the Fours competition, Crowley linked up with fellow Dubliners, Gerry Murphy from Chapelizod, Pat Fowler from Templeogue and Brendan Smyth to contest the C, D and E class, again topping the podium on every count.
It was the D Four race that proved their most competitive as they pipped a tough Parisian outfit, comprising of Pascal Gueret, Sébastien Coguic, Remy and Christophe Majorek, by a mere .2 of a second.
“That was a big one, real neck-and-neck stuff” smiled Crowley.
“We knew we were fast, so we said we’d just back ourselves and we went out very quick.
“They then tried to catch us and, coming up to the line, they were right beside us and they could have gone ahead, but we pushed on and got there first in the end.
“To beat a French team in France. What a way to win it!” he said.
The same four crew then combined with another Lucan man, Mick Heavey, Kenny McDonald from Limerick, Belfast’s Colin Hunter and Adrian McCallion from Galway, to contest the D & E Eight events, with another two gold medals resulting.
Crowley also combined with McCallion to chalk up yet another victory in the Double Sculls in what was a stunning return for the Lucan man.
“Over the last few years, I’ve been very successful, and confidence breathes confidence” he told The Echo.
“It has been a fantastic year. We had a huge win in London [Head of the River Time Trial], we did really well at the British Masters and now this. It’s just great” he said.
