FINTAN McCarthy will partner Paul O’Donovan in the Irish men’s lightweight double at the upcoming European Rowing Championships.

O’Donovan and McCarthy, who won gold together at the 2019 senior World Rowing Championships and also qualified the boat for the Olympics, received the good news on Saturday after an intense trial process.

They will now go forward to the Europeans in Varese early next month and also compete at World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne in May, and they are also in pole position to be in the boat for the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, with the final crew selection to be announced in June.

The competition for the two seats in the Olympic-bound boat has been fierce as four Skibbereen Rowing Club stars battled it out. The iconic O’Donovan brothers, Gary and Paul, who won silver at the 2016 Games, and another set of Skibbereen brothers, Fintan and Jake McCarthy, were all in contention for the two seats, though Jake missed a huge chunk of training last year through injury.

In 2018, Gary and Paul won gold at the senior Worlds before Fintan won his seat in the boat in 2019 and also won senior World gold with Paul.

The Irish men’s lightweight double is coached by Dominic Casey.