'He ought to go down in history' - Paul O'Donovan's global rowing legacy

When Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy settle down into their boat in the Czech Republic for the World Rowing Championships, they will do so with their eyes firmly fixed on gold.

The Irish duo are aiming to successfully defend their world title, just as they did at the European Championship in Munich last month.

They travel in expectation rather than hope and over the last seven years, O’Donovan’s success, first with brother Gary and later with McCarthy, has been such that it can often be taken for granted.

His Olympic gold and silver medals alone would be enough to create a lasting legacy but O’Donovan has almost casually added four World gold medal, three Europeans and the World Cup Regatta golds.

It’s success on a level that is almost unprecedented not just in Irish rowing but in Irish sport on the international stage and puts him within the same kind of bracket as Katie Taylor. Rare company indeed.

All of this has been achieved for the Skibereen man while he’s studying medicine at UCC and maintaining a relatively low profile for such a prolific sportsman.

Outside of competition, O’Donovan is happy to let his ability on the water speak for itself and while his post-race interviews usually contain as much gold as he ends up wearing around his neck, he also seems to have the ability to tune out the attention and hype that usually comes with the kind of glory he’s already achieved.

Away from Ireland and the added focus that so much success brings in a country that can only boast of ten Olympic gold medal winners throughout history, it is perhaps easier to get a glimpse of O’Donovan’s standing and status within his sporting field.

The Irishman is among the truly elite level rowers to have picked up an oar, but as rowing