Dominant Irish pair leave their rivals searching for answers

Paul O’Donovan has been tormentor-in-chief, whether with his brother Gary or, more recently, Fintan McCarthy with whom he has constructed an air of invincibility

GOLDEN BOYS: Paul O'Donovan, left, and Fintan McCarthy of Ireland celebrate with their gold medals after winning the Men's Lightweight Double Sculls A Final during day 4 of the European Championships 2022 at Olympic Regatta Centre in Munich, Germany. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

A warm but slightly exasperated laugh escaped from an exhausted Stefano Oppo’s throat as he stood in the blistering mixed zone after yesterday’s European Championship lightweight men’s double sculls final and digested a query as to how exactly these Irish guys could be beaten.

Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy had only just retained their continental crown having faced down a fierce challenge, not just from Oppo and his Italian colleague Pietro Ruta, but from the Swiss duo of Jan Schaeuble and Raphael Ahumada Ireland, before pulling further and further away in the last 500m.