Paul O’Donovan makes claim for Ireland’s greatest sportsperson following ‘golden’ summer

The Corkman won his seventh World Rowing Championship medal yesterday.

The 30-year-old, who graduated from University College Cork with a degree in Medicine last year, was hoisted aloft by Greece's silver medallist Antonios Papakonstantinou and bronze winner Niels Torre of Italy during the medal ceremony at Lake Ontario, Canada last night after dominating the men's lightweight singles sculls A final.

World champion 🥇
He’s done it again!!!! pic.twitter.com/oBlC5AL47W

— Skibbereen Rowing (@skibbrowing) August 24, 2024

It's the Skibbereen native's second gold medal in the space of a month, after he and teammate Fintan McCarthy claimed their second successive gold medal in the lightweight double sculls in the French capital - a feat that made Paul the only Irish Olympian to medal at three games.

Last night's seventh world title will go nicely with his two Olympic golds and one silver on the O'Donovan mantlepiece back home in West Cork, and has strengthened his claim on being Ireland’s greatest sportsperson.

Speaking to World Rowing after his victory, he said: "Very close in the first stages.

"(Papakonstantinou) took off and I was like, I better follow him, he's pretty dangerous...I had to go with him and I tracked him down in the end," he added.

"I got a little bit ahead and just kept working to avoid the sprint at the finish because I could see USA and Italy were fighting it out and closing down on the two of us. Happy to cross the line in the front position."

What a legend - three weeks after his gold medal in Paris, Paul O'Donovan of @RowingIreland is back with another gold medal, this time in the lightweight men's single sculls. Is he Ireland's greatest ever athlete?#WRCHStCatharines #WorldRowingChamps pic.twitter.com/wlRILZ31qp

— World Rowing (@WorldRowing) August 24, 2024

O’Donovan’s modesty in his post-race interview doesn't reflect his performance on the water.

Even when he was sixth at the 500m-mark, there was no sense of panic or alarm, as less than a second separated the tight field.

By the half-way mark, O'Donovan was little more than a second behind the Greek rower in second place.

By 1500m, with a quarter of the race left, he was in the lead, and by then everyone else was tussling over the minor placings.

O’Donovan won with a time of 6:49.68 - almost two and a half seconds to spare.

Eight years on from his first solo win at the 2016 World Championships in Rotterdam and his silver medal glory at Rio 2016 alongside brother Gary, you'd be hard pressed to find an Irish athlete who can boast as impressive a medal cabinet as Dr O'Donovan's.