Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy make all kinds of history by retaining Olympic title
HISTORY MADE: Paul O'Donovan, left, and Fintan McCarthy of Team Ireland are congratulated after winning the men's lightweight double sculls finals. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
History made. More of it.
Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy have defended their lightweight double sculls Olympic title with another masterful row at these Paris Games.
They are the first Irish athletes to defend a title at this august level since Pat O’Callaghan put back-to-back hammer wins together in 1928 and 1932. O’Donovan is the first Irish person to medal at three Olympic Games. That’s 2016, 2020 and 2024.
“I think that’s a fluke, to be honest,” he said to that last one.
They will also go down in the record books as the last ever lightweight men’s Olympic champions. Coastal rowing will replace the grade come the Los Angeles hosting in four year’s time as the five rings continue to change and evolve.
The Skibbereen pair arrived in Paris with some unfamiliar doubts circling around them. They had been beaten a couple of times in the preceding 12 months, the Swiss were considered dangerous, but moreso the Italians who had dominated the circuit in 2024.
O’Donovan had lapped all that talk up this week and long before, playing the underdog with his trademark schtick despite the chest full of gold medals the pair already had in their lockers this last five or so years.
“It was always in doubt for everyone else,” he told . “I mean, no-one else believed we could do it. And against all the odds we stuck with it, trained hard and Italy out there today were the No.1 seeds and really put it up there today.
“Greece were underdogs like ourselves, also put in a big day again today and got onto the medal podium and unfortunately Switzerland missed out after some good performances earlier this year. But very happy to prove the doubters wrong.
“So it’s a good day for the Irish.”
They did their usual thing, merging with the bunch over the first 1,000m before pulling away, gradually but inevitably. They did just that shortly after the halfway mark. The Swiss were dropped early and then the Italians and a doughty Greek crew.
The sun actually went down on the challengers right on cue, disappearing behind a rare cloud at the very time the race morphed into procession. The Irish crew had done what they came to do. They would accept nothing less than gold.
“Always the aim, for sure,” said McCarthy. “As we said earlier, we had a rocky season. Well, I did, Paul has obviously been consistent as hell for the whole year but just really nice to get a few races under our belt early in the whole regatta.
“We were trying to keep under wraps the nerves and the doubts. But coming out for the final there were no nerves, we had some really good rounds and I really felt like we were back at our best for this race.”
The result was obvious long before the finish, the large Irish contingent hoo-haaing their brilliant boat across the line in a time of 6:10.99 and roughly 2.5 seconds ahead of the Italians who beat the Greeks to the silver.
Same as it ever was, just as the lightweight class disappears forever.
O’Donovan and McCarthy have spoken about transferring to the heavyweight ranks but that’s for another day. What a way this was to sign off this most glorious of chapters.
The men who conquered Europe, the Worlds and the Olympics. Time and time again.
“It feels like it’s been a crazy journey the last few years and it has just been a privilege of a lifetime to be rowing with Paul and under Dominic [Casey] for my whole rowing career pretty much,” said McCarthy. “It’s amazing.”
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