Paul O’Donovan
Paul comes from Skibbereen and has been rowing since 2001. Paul is currently studying Medicine in UCC and rows for UCC Rowing Club.
Paul is one of Ireland’s greatest athletes. He won the silver medal, alongside his brother Gary, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and has since won four consecutive gold medals at the World Rowing Championships; in the Lightweight Single Scull in 2016 and 2017, and in 2018 and 2019 in the Lightweight Double with Gary (2018) and Fintan McCarthy (2019). Paul and Gary also won gold at the 2017 European Championships in the Lightweight Double.
Paul won Gold alongside Fintan McCarthy at the 2021 European Rowing Championships in Varese. In the 2021 Rowing World Cup II, Paul won a gold medal with Fintan McCarthy in the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls, held in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The Skibbereen native made history at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo when he and Fintan McCarthy won Ireland’s first ever rowing gold medal winning the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls A Final.
World and Olympic champion Paul along with Fintan McCarthy qualified for another world final in Belgrade and in the process secured their place in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris where they went on to win a historic gold at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Listen to Paul’s interview on The Rowing Ireland Podcast: https://therowingirelandpodcast.podbean.com/
Guilty pleasure
I don't feel guilty ....
Most likely to say
Pull like a dog