BY KIERAN McCARTHY
FINTAN McCarthy admits his lack of nerves before his Olympic final was almost unnerving in itself.
He felt incredibly calm, which can be traced back to the confidence he has in his and Paul O’Donovan’s ability to move the Irish men’s lightweight double through the water faster than any other boat.
The Skibbereen dream team has won it all – from Olympic gold in Tokyo to three World titles and European success – and they know what’s needed to win the biggest prizes in rowing.
Fintan McCarthy, along with swimmer Mona McSharry, were Ireland's flag bearers at the Olympic Games closing ceremony.(Photo: @TeamIreland)
In Paris, they delivered again. They won their heat earlier in the week, sent out a statement of intent in a dominant semi-final victory, and arrived at the start line for their Olympic final in the best shape.
‘Before the race I felt very calm,’ Fintan told the Star Sport Podcast.
‘I was horsing into the caffeine trying to get myself going, but nothing was working – I wasn’t nervous at all, I was like “what’s going on!”. I wasn’t feeling nervous, but there was excitement because I knew we could do well and do a good job.
‘Usually your heart would be racing but because we had had a good few rounds, the confidence was back again. It was a matter of going out and doing what we knew we were capable of.
‘We didn’t have to rely on pulling something out of the bag, which probably was the case a few months ago. In Lucerne (World Cup II) there were a few nerve-wracking races because I knew I wasn’t in top form. This time it was a case of trusting in the training and knowing what we were able to do.’
Lucerne in May was an important stop-over in the Irish men’s lightweight double in this Olympic year – it was their first regatta together in 2023, with Fintan back on the water after missing the Europeans through illness. They finished third overall, with Italy and Switzerland ahead of them. It showed Fintan and Paul the ground they needed to make up between then and Paris.
‘When you think about it logically I knew that it would be fine and that I would be at a good level, but it’s very different when you are in the middle of it, you’ve missed however many weeks of training, your scores are down the drain, the boat’s going slow and you’re trying not to piss Paul off!’ Fintan explained.
‘You know it will be okay in seven or eight weeks if you stick at it but in these moments when it’s not going well, it’s hard to see how it could get better. In those moments I was having to tell myself to trust the process big time, and after a week or two you can see yourself improving, and you get back to normal.’
Normal for Fintan and Paul is at world-class level, it’s why they’re now back-to-back Olympic gold medallists and it’s why they also felt in control during the Olympic final. Before they turned the turbos on inside the last quarter of the race, gold already seemed inevitable.
‘Because we were through the Italians and the Swiss by halfway I was pretty confident we’d have a good result because usually they get off to a good start and we’re chasing them a bit in the second half,’ Fintan explained.
‘When we were through them I knew we could keep going at the pace we were at and push on if we needed to, so I was pretty happy with that.’
The Irish double’s winning time of 6:10.99 was almost two and a half seconds ahead of Italy in second, and it was by clear water – that’s emphatic in any race, even more so in an Olympic final. Powering over the finish line, it was mission accomplished.
‘You’re planning for years to be at your best on the day so it’s a small bit of relief that you were able to do it. You’re high on the race, that it felt really good and winning of course,’ Fintan recalled, and the celebrations started with family and friends as soon as the gold medals were hung around the Skibbereen duo’s necks.
Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan with their gold medals.
Having stayed in a hotel by the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, roughly 50 kilometres from the athletes village, Fintan and Paul moved base camp to Paris after their Friday morning heroics on the water. After rowing like kings on the water, they lived like kings that weekend – and the Walk of Champions at Champions Park in Trocadéro Gardens, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, will live long in the memory.
‘It was like two different events,’ Fintan said, ‘and once we got into Paris everything was geared towards the Olympics, it is all everyone is talking about, that Olympic buzz.
‘Champions Park was cool, it was a catwalk in front of the Eiffel Tower and you get to parade the medal around. We got to do it with all the other rowing medallists … we are huge rowing fans too and seeing all the other medallists there and chatting to them was special.
‘At one point I was on top of (Olympic single sculls champion) Olli Zeidler’s shoulders having a dance in front of 15,000 people, that’s a memory for sure!’
From the Olympic final, to winning gold, to hearing the national anthem, to sharing those special moments with his family and friends, and celebrating in Paris, to the closing ceremony at the Stade de France where he was an Irish flag bearer, it’s been an unforgettable few weeks for the Skibbereen rower who still admits it’s surreal to be described as a two-time Olympic gold medallist. But it’s a crown he has earned and will always wear.
