Para champion

Scott Meenagh (inset) was with the Scottish rowing team at the Home International Regatta in Cork, where Scotland produced its best ever performance and won gold medals in a record 17 events.

The burly local contender was up against a hard-rowing female contestant who was given a small but significant time advantage.

Scott’s performance in the mixed trunk and arms single sculls event amply demonstrated his fighting spirit to overcome the 22 second head start granted to his female opposition to win by clear water in four minutes and 21 seconds.

But he was particularly pleased to have been able to set a new personal best by over 20 seconds.

Going into the “big boat” races following the afternoon break, Scotland had already attained enough points to secure the senior women’s overall title having won six of the eight races earlier in the day.

With both senior titles in the bag, the final two races of the day became more of an exhibition with bragging rights at stake for both the men’s and women’s team.

Meanwhile every member of Scotland’s 13-strong women’s team picked up a winner’s medal on the day.

It was the first time since 2002 and 2006 respectively that Scotland had won the overall senior men’s and women’s titles and the first time since 1990 that both had been won in the same year.