Rivals and teammates united in praise for O'Donovan and McCarthy

“You should see him all winter, the amount of training he does. He’d sit on that rowing machine for like five hours."

LEGENDS: Ireland’s Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy celebrate after winning gold in the lightweight men's double sculls final. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

No matter the line of work, the praise that typically matters most is the kind that comes from your peers. Not long after Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan powered their way into the pantheon of Irish Olympic legends, their fellow rowers at Vaires-sur-Marne were in agreement about their greatness.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Jan Schaeuble, who finished fourth with the Swiss boat. “They’re really hard to beat and I think they did a good job again. They’re the best crew. They showed that again today.” His teammate Raphael Ahumada said the Irish are “crazy guys” who “never give up and go until the end.”