Paul O’Donovan
Rowing
BIOGRAPHY
Paul O’Donovan is the only Irish athlete to secure a medal at three separate Olympic Games. He is a double Olympic Champion (alongside Fintan McCarthy) and seven time World champion.
Paul won the first two of his world titles as lightweight single sculler in 2016 and 2017. A year later, he and older brother Gary won World Championship gold in the lightweight double, with Paul going on to win three more titles (2019, 2022, 2023) alongside current rowing partner Fintan McCarthy.
He won Ireland’s first ever Olympic rowing medal (silver) with brother Gary in Rio 2016. At the Toyko 2020 Olympic Games he won gold with Fintan McCarthy, a feat they repeated at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Paul is both a qualified physiotherapist and medical doctor and graduated from University College Cork with first class honours. He has been voted Ireland’s Greatest Ever Olympian and won the RTE Sportsperson of the Year Award following the Paris Olympic Games.
OTHER ROWING ATHLETES
ROWING NEWS
IN THE NEWS – AUGUST 11th
New Kids on the Block – Ireland’s Rising Stars Shine This Summer This summer has been a defining moment for Team Ireland’s rising stars. From the pool to the river and the track to the showjumping arena, our junior athletes have charged into finals, stood proudly on podiums and achieved remarkable milestones on both European [...]
In The News – July 7th
Equestrian – Spruce Meadows, Canada Daniel Coyle Won the $1 million ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup, producing two flawless rounds with Incredible and winning the jump-off in 35.21 seconds. He edged out USA’s Kyle King by just 0.08 seconds to take his first-ever 5★ Grand Prix win at Spruce Meadows. “It only took 10 years,” Coyle [...]
Sport Events Coming up in July
We are at the start of a jam packed July, check here for information on the upcoming events? DATES EVENT (SPORT) 27 June – 6 July EQUESTRIAN Team Ireland – World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen – Aachen, Germany LINK 28-29 June ATHLETICS Team Ireland – European Athletics Team Championships Division 2 – Maribor, Slovenia LINK [...]
RTE Sportsperson of the Year | Paul O’Donovan
"Phenomenal" Paul O'Donovan was hailed "an all-time great" as he was crowned RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year for 2024 on Sunday evening. The Cork rower became the first Irish Olympian to win medals at three consecutive Olympic Games in August as he claimed gold at the double sculls in Paris in a year where [...]
Nominations For RTE Sportsperson of the Year
Next Sunday evening, December 15th at 9:30 pm, the RTÉ Sport Awards 2024 will air live on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player. Hosted by Joanne Cantwell, Darragh Maloney, and Jacqui Hurley from Studio 4 in RTÉ, the event will celebrate Irish sporting excellence in front of an audience filled with the nation’s top athletes. [...]
BACK-TO-BACK OLYMPIC GOLD FOR FINTAN MCCARTHY AND PAUL O’DONOVAN
Team Ireland rowers Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan (LM2x) have sensationally won back-to -back Olympic gold medals. The Skibbereen superstars rowed the perfect race to become double Olympic champions in front a massive Irish crowd in Paris. In doing the remarkable duo have won Team Ireland’s fifth medal at these Paris Olympic Games, after team [...]