Rowing: The Dublin Head of the River, which starts near O'Connell Bridge tomorrow (1.30 p.m.) has huge - generally untapped - potential as a spectator event.

However, it will be given a big boost this year by the participation of some of the stars of the sport in this country.

Trinity College has a remarkable roll call of former world champions on its books - Sam Lynch, Sinéad Jennings, Gearóid Towey - and also boasts Olympian Eugene Coakley and international Tim Harnedy.

Tomorrow, for the first time, it draws on some of these resources in competition.

Lynch will wear the blue and gold of St Michael's, but is set to row in the number six seat in the Trinity/Lady Elizabeth/St Michael's composite crew which will go off second on the day. Lady Elizabeth are the "old boys" crew of Trinity.

Harnedy, who is shaking off an injury, and Coakley, a member of the Ireland lightweight four which finished sixth in Athens, are set to row for their college for the first time. This opens up the interesting possibility of Trinity being greatly strengthened in other competitions this season.

Tim Levy, the Trinity and Lady Elizabeth coach, says he has been targeting the London Head of the River in March. The presence of Skibbereen men Coakley and Harnedy would greatly ratchet up the chances of a big result.

"It's going to be an interesting year. We've got quite a lot of new people in," Levy says.

Lynch, enthusiastic in his training runs despite disappointment in Athens, gives everyone around him a fillip. "For my guys it's a great experience to just row with him," Levy says.

The Trinity/Lady Elizabeth crews should be fastest over the course, which runs from the Marlborough steps, near O'Connell Bridge, to the weir at Islandbridge. Neptune, Garda and Commercial will also want to see how their, mostly young, eights do.

With nearly 300 competitors - there are an impressive 27 eights and four fours entered - it will be an unexpected spectacle for Saturday shoppers.

The seedier side of sport has yielded a medal for Ireland: Diarmuid Mac Colgain and Danny O'Dowd were bumped up to bronze at the World University Games due to the disqualification of Poland's lightweight double.

It has now been confirmed that one of the Poles, Tomasz Mrozowicz, tested positive for two banned substances, 19- Norandrosterone and 19- Noretiocholanolone.