PAUL O’Donovan has been crowned world champion for a SEVENTH time!
The Skibbereen rowing legend proved he is the best lightweight rower in the world as he surged to gold and glory in the A final of the lightweight men’s single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Canada.
Just weeks after winning his third Olympic medal – and becoming the first Irish sportsperson to win Olympic medals at three successive Games – Paul showed his class once again to win his THIRD World single sculls title, completing a hat-trick after triumphs in 2016 and ’17. Since then he has won FOUR World titles in the double sculls, the first with his older brother Gary and three with his current lightweight double partner Fintan McCarthy; together this duo has won back-to-back Olympic titles.
Watch a living legend at work, as Paul O’Donovan wins his SEVENTH world title with a dominant performance in the lightweight men's single sculls final at the World Rowing Championships! He's a winning machine. pic.twitter.com/p2j3r97ulF
— Kieran McCarthy (@KieranMcC_SS) August 24, 2024
Starting Saturday night’s A final in lane four, Paul, who had convincingly won his heat and semi-finals, was in sixth place after the first 500 metres, but less than one second covered all six rowers.
By the halfway stage Paul was up to second place, just over one second behind Greek rower Antonios Papakonstantinou. But with 500 to go, Paul had powered 0.48 of a second ahead of the Greek rower – and there was no stopping the Skibbereen man from here! He won in 6:49.68, ahead of Papakonstantinou in 6:51.90, with Italy’s Niels Torre in third, in 6:52.64.
