Overview

• The duo won gold in the men's lightweight double sculls at Paris 2024 with a time of six minutes 10.99 seconds.
• Paul O'Donovan is now the first Irish athlete to medal in three consecutive Olympics.
• Their victory has energized the rowing community in Skibbereen, where hundreds gathered to watch the race.
• O'Donovan and McCarthy's success is part of a broader surge in Irish sports achievements at the Games.
• The lightweight sculls event will be replaced by coastal rowing in the next Olympics, but O'Donovan remains optimistic about Ireland's future in the sport.