PAUL O'Donovan is the gift that keeps on giving.
Already regarded as the greatest Irish rower of all time, and he's only 27 years old, the Lisheen man reminded us all of his supreme talent at World Cup III in Lucerne.
After winning his heat and A/B semi-final, Paul raced to glory in the A final on Saturday afternoon. Another glorious gold medal to add to a glittering collection that includes Olympic, World and European gold from his exploits in the double.
WORLD CUP BEST TIME!
Not only did the great Paul O'Donovan win gold in the lightweight men's single A final at World Cup III today, but he did it in a World Cup Best Time! The new record he set is 6:47.15. Easily one of the greatest sportspeople we've ever had.
📸 @skibbrowing https://t.co/dNayNAfA6n pic.twitter.com/As0wlMr7eS— Kieran McCarthy (@KieranMcC_SS) July 9, 2022
Not only that, the Skibbereen rower did it in style, winning in a World Cup Best Time of 6:47.15. Belgium's Tibo Vyvey took silver (6:48.72) with Uruguay's Bruno Cetraro Berriolo in third (6:49.81).
Paul was the only Irish rower in action in Lucerne, but he made his usual impact and then took his usual position at the top of the podium. Different class.
Rowing Ireland’s CEO Michelle Carpenter said: 'Congratulations to Paul on his gold medal today, and for breaking a World Cup record. We were delighted to see the result, as thousands of young rowers competed in the sport for the first time today in the 1k Classic, at the National Rowing Centre, where our high performance athletes are based. It's phenomenal to see the stars of the future, competing and enjoying our sport today.'
Rowing Ireland’s High-Performance Director Antonio Maurogiovanni added: 'We are delighted with Paul’s performance, and to see him coming away from World Cup III with the gold medal. After good racing here, and in Poznan, we look forward to Europeans and the World Championships in the coming months.'
