Irish photographer 'over the moon' to win prize at World Press Photo Contest 

The winning shot: Masters athlete Pat Naughton (87) trains at his home in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland, while under Covid-19 lockdown. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

An Irish photograph has been selected as one of the winners in the World Press Photo Contest 2021.

Stephen McCarthy claimed second prize in the Sports Singles category with his photo ‘Home Training’.

The picture shows 87-year-old Pat Naughton training at his home in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Naughton is a Masters athlete - a class of athletics comprising of people over the age of 35, divided into age categories, each spanning five years.

Mr McCarthy, a photographer for Sportsfile, said he was “over the moon” to have won the prize.

“When you see some of the names and some of the work, some of the photographers that have won today, it’s absolutely amazing to have your name recognised amongst those,” he told the Irish Examiner.

He said to see Ireland being recognised among the entries from around 130 countries and to see his – and his agency’s – name amongst “all those world-class photographers is absolutely incredible”.

Mr McCarthy said that he spoke to Pat a month ago when the nominations were announced and he and his wife were “thrilled”.

He said that he was nervous taking the photo on the day due to Covid-19, but he said that Pat’s family “were so welcoming”.

Mr McCarthy said that they made his job “so much easier”.

Adam Pretty’s ‘Log Pile Bouldering’ won first prize in the Sports Singles category while Tomasz Markowski ‘Tour of Poland Cycling Crash’ came third.

The winners in the Sports, singles category of the #WPPh2021 Photo Contest are: 1st prize, Adam Pretty, @GettyImages; 2nd prize, Stephen McCarthy (@sportsfilesteve), @sportsfile; & 3rd prize, Tomasz Markowski. Congratulations! See their work: https://t.co/xG4PwB78pY pic.twitter.com/PSCJcbn1fD

— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 15, 2021

 

Mr McCarthy previously won a World Press Photo Award in 2018.

His ‘Steaming Scrum’ photo from the 2017 British and Irish Lions Tour also won second in the Sports Singles category.

Photo of the Day | The British & Irish Lions and Maori All Blacks engage during a match at Rotorua International Stadium in Rotorua, New Zealand. From ‘Steaming Scrum’ by #WPPh2018 winner Stephen McCarthy (@sportsfilesteve), for (@sportsfile): https://t.co/52bxxhdo8k pic.twitter.com/oZrfEv1UeB

— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) March 8, 2021