PAUL O'Donovan might have chosen to take some time off after winning his third Olympic – and second gold – medal in Paris during the summer. He would have been well within his rights to rest, recover and let everything sink in.
Instead, he travelled to Canada just a couple of weeks later and won his seventh World Rowing title. He also started working as a doctor in the interim.
His recent achievements, along with his European and national titles got us thinking, at Star Sport HQ, is Paul O'Donovan the greatest Irish sportsperson of all time?
There are plenty of contenders to the title: Roy Keane, Katie Taylor, Henry Shefflin to name but a few.
O'Donovan has dominated a sport like no other Irish person has, and has raised the profile of a sport in a way perhaps only Katie Taylor can match.
We're obviously biased down here in West Cork, but spoke about why he just might be Ireland's greatest sportsperson of all time on this week's podcast.
All this and more on this week's Star Sport Podcast. Watch above. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, by using the player below or by searching 'Southern Star Sport Podcast' wherever you get yours.
Follow our hosts on Twitter: @dyldonot & @KieranMcC_SS
Produced by Dylan Mangan.
Paul O'Donovan's medal haul – the highlights
Olympics
Gold medal (Lightweight double sculls, Tokyo 2020)
Gold Medal (Lightweight double sculls, Paris 2024)
Silver medal (Lightweight double sculls, Rio de Janeiro 2016)
World Rowing
O'Donovan has seven World titles, four in the double (2018, ’19, ’22 and ’23) and now three in the single (2016, ’17 and ’24).
Olympic rowers' homecoming
Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy will be joined by thousands of fans, who are expected to descend on Skibbereen this Sunday afternoon for the homecoming that will celebrate the incredible exploits of Skibbereen Rowing Club’s Olympians at the Paris Games.
For the second Olympics in a row, four Skibb rowers – Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy, Emily Hegarty and Aoife Casey – flew the West Cork flag on the world stage, and again they wowed.
Olympic champs Paul and Fintan won back-to-back gold medals with their victory in the lightweight men’s double in Paris, Aoife finished fifth in the lightweight women’s double sculls and Tokyo bronze medallist Emily was part of the Irish women’s four that won the B final.
Since then, Paul has added a seventh World title to his collection with his latest success at the World Rowing Championships last weekend adding another reason to celebrate this Sunday.
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