After becoming Ireland's first three-time Olympic medallist in Paris, Paul O'Donovan has now added a third world title to that collection when winning the lightweight singles sculls A final at the World Rowing Championships.
O'Donovan, who retained the lightweight double sculls gold with Fintan McCarthy in the French capital, had over two seconds to spare over Greece's Antonios Papakonstantinou when taking gold at the event for non-Olympic classes in St Catharines on Lake Ontario.
The Skibbereen competitor was the 2016 and '17 world singles champion.
Less than a second separated the field after 500m, with Papakonstantinou holding a slight advantage. O'Donovan, who was fifth in those early stages, gradually improved and was five metres behind in second spot at the half-way mark.
However, his strength showed thereafter, passing Papakonstantinou, with the USA's Samuel Melvin in third.
O'Donovan would eventually stretch his advantage to 15 metres, as he came home in a time of 6:49.98. His Greek rival posted a time 6:51.90, with Italy's Niels Torre edging out Melvin for third in 6:52.64.
Siobhán McCrohan had to settle for bronze in her bid to defend her lightweight single sculls world title, with Romania's Ionela Cozmiuc taking gold.
Galway native McCrohan won her heat with ease and finished second in her semi-final to advance to the final, but Cozmiuc, a silver medallist in the double sculls at the recent Olympics, proved too good by taking the lead early on.
It looked like McCrohan would take silver, but Zoi Fitsiou of Greece, a bronze medallist in Paris, finished strongly in the last 150 metres to grab second spot.
Cozmiuc won in a time of 7:29.02, with Fitsiou clocking 7:30.74, and McCrohan coming home in 7:32.94.
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