PAUL O’DONOVAN AND Fintan McCarthy have powered to a gold medal in the Men’s Double Sculls final at the World Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic.
The Skibbereen stars produced another superb performance, clocking a time of 6:16.46 to be crowned world champions once more.
O’Donovan and McCarthy cruised home, comfortably finishing first. “It’s fine, yeah,” O’Donovan told RTÉ Sport in a typically nonchalant interview afterwards:
"It's fine yeah" Paul O'Donovan not getting carried away with a fifth consecutive World Rowing Championship gold medal. Fintan McCarthy admits to being "really happy" | 📺 Watch #WRChamps live now on @RTEOne and @RTEPlayer https://t.co/nKLXOjzjmg #WRCHRacice pic.twitter.com/YHhs69l9VU
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 24, 2022
The 2020 Olympic champions and firm favourites were last after 700 metres, but were typically finding their rhythm and getting into their stride. They grabbed the lead by halfway, clocking 3:06.81 as they pulled away from the rest of the field to cross the line well clear. Italy and Ukraine were second and third respectively.
There was huge disappointment for the Irish Women’s Four of Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh, Emily Hegarty, who finished sixth in their final afterwards.
The quartet landed a brilliant bronze at last summer’s Olympic Games, so today’s result will be particularly gut-wrenching. Great Britain took the crown, with the Netherlands and Australia in second and third.
Earlier today, Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey secured a bronze medal in the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls final.
Katie O’Brien and Steven McGowan finished fifth in the Mixed Double Sculls final, while the Irish Men’s Four of John Kearney, Ross Corrigan, Nathan Timoney and Jack Dorney, and Women’s Pair of Natalie Long and Tara Hanlon, were second in their respective B finals.
Unbelievable and underestimated their achievements!
@Tiarnach: completely underestimated which is such a shame. To think people used to get up in the middle of the night to watch that ar*ehol* Conor McGregor fight. Look at these lads, practically unbeatable and it is nearly ignored. Fair play to those lads. Absolute animals
@Johnny Honest: how about judging them on their own merits rather than using their achievements to have a pop at someone else.
@Mark Sheehan: a bit touchy there mark. Hahaha
@Johnny Honest: ,no, have no time for McGregor or MMA ,comparing the 2 lads to him is an injustice to their achievement but is just about par for this and the journal.
@Mark Sheehan: I think you should read my first comment, I never compared anyone to anyone. But if you don’t understand simple English, I can’t help you here bud
Split Skibereen in 2!
@Shane Scanlan: Hahaha.. Nice one!
Unbelievable. Well done lads
Most successful Irish sports stars in the most successful Irish sport!
Paul O’Donovan must be one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, sports person we’ve ever produced. What a legend
@James Butler: himself and Katie Taylor. And to think they are both so down to earth about their achievements makes it even better
@James Butler: he’s certainly in the conversation, and may well go down as THE greatest once he’s retired
@James Butler: He’s exceptional. Not appreciated enough.
@James Butler: Throwing my oar in (sorry) I would like to add Jason Smyth to that group. He is often overlooked and he has Paralympic, World, European Golds and world records. Narrowly missed out in competing in both Paralympics and Olympics in 2012. Wouldnt be out of place in such vaulted company.
Well done and best wishes
Well done lads
Fair play..nice to read some good news for a change.
Pulling like dogs fair play to them
Well done guys
They need to erect a trinity statue of the o donovans and McCarthy down in skibereen. Legends..
Congratulations and well done to you both.
Well done boys ur brilliant
Here’s a link to the final: https://worldrowing.com/video/2022-world-rowing-championships-racice-czech-republic-lightweight-mens-double-sculls-lm2x-a-final/
National treasures to be sure… their achievements are almost taken for granted at this stage I’d say? Brilliant beyond belief.
Many congratulations.
Fabulous to see the supreme confidence in their ability of the Skibereen boys to lazily set out at the start knowing they could push on when required
Kudos to O Donovan/Mccarthy
@Denis O Sullivan: they haven’t had much time together this year – the part of the race where that often shows is the start when the rating is very high. Not much about laziness and more about establishing an early rhythm that would see them fastest over 2k
Katy Taylor to win sport personality regardless
Pull like a dog
Class
Am I the only one who thinks he comes across as ignorant
@James Murphy: Possibly yes.
@James Murphy: Agreed, he’s usually understated in a friendly way whereas that was just plain grumpy