AN IRISH rower, who finished 13th at the 2007 World Rowing Championships, has taken a High Court case to force the Irish Amateur Rowing Union to sanction his participation in a regatta in Poland next month in a last-ditch attempt to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in August.
Sean Jacob, who has rowed for Ireland in the heavyweight single scull category, missed out on a place at the Beijing Olympics by two positions at the 2007 World Championships as the top 11 scullers qualified automatically.
Ciaran Lewis, for Mr Jacob, told Ms Justice Laffoy yesterday that the union, which was not represented at yesterday's ex-parte hearing, would not sanction his participation at the last event at which he could qualify for the Olympics - a regatta in Poznan, Poland, next month. Mr Lewis said the deadline for applications for Poznan was June 2nd and he sought an early court hearing by way of an interlocutory application to have the union sanction Mr Jacob's place at the regatta.
Mr Jacob has claimed that it had been represented to him that he had already been selected to participate at Poznan.
Ms Justice Laffoy scheduled a hearing for tomorrow morning.
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