Paul O’Donovan of Ireland capped off a successful summer by clinching the lightweight single sculls championship at the world rowing event held in Canada during the weekend. Just a few weeks after maintaining his Olympic title in the lightweight doubles category with his partner from Skibbereen, Fintan McCarthy, the 30-year-old Irish rower claimed another gold, winning the singles final with a lead of more than two seconds.
Despite a strong beginning by Antonios Papakonstantinou of Greece, who was leading after the first 500 metres in St Catharines, O’Donovan was last among the six participating boats at the quarter-mark but trailed by less than a second. By mid-race, O’Donovan had secured the second position, further preparing himself for his stronger finish that he’s known for dominating in the lightweight double sculls alongside McCarthy.
Despite being momentarily hindered by a passing swan, O’Donovan managed to surge into the lead by the 1,500m landmark. Maintaining his lead against the Greek opponent, he accelerated in the last 250 metres, finishing the race with a time of 6 minutes and 49.68 seconds. There was clear water between O’Donovan and Papakonstantinou with Niels Torre of Italy finishing third to claim the bronze.
The victory marked the Irishman’s seventh world championship gold medal and the third in the singles category after his triumphant stints in Rotterdam in 2016 and Sarasota in 2017. Afterwards, he shifted his focus to the double sculls, winning gold with his brother Gary in 2018 and again with McCarthy in 2019, 2022, and most recently in Belgrade.
After the race, O’Donovan, appearing a bit exhausted, acknowledged that his tactics were guided by Papakonstantinou’s initial pace. Trailing the Greek in the early stages, the Irishman worked to overtake him and secure a lead, all the while averting a last-minute sprint to the finish line when he noticed the USA and Italy closing the gap between them. He expressed satisfaction with being the first to cross the finish line.
In another match, reigning champion Siobhán McCrohan bagged the bronze medal in the lightweight women’s sculls A final.
A 37-year-old Claregalway native secured a place in the silver medal position during the 1,000m and 1,500m races, right behind Ionela Cozmiuc from Romania, who was leading by a significant margin. In an unexpected turn of events, Zoi Fitsou from Greece managed to overtake McCrohan in the finale, securing the silver medal in the last 100 metres of the race. The lightweight double sculls event at the Paris Olympics saw Cozmiuc earning a silver medal for Romania, while Fitsou claimed the bronze for Greece.