Paris 2024 gold medallists Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy take on fellow medallist Philip Doyle in the men’s championship single at the Head of the Charles. The autumn event draws huge crowds and some of the best rowers in the world.
Doyle, who partnered Daire Lynch to a bronze medal in the men’s double in Paris, goes off first in the prestigious race (7.12pm Irish time today). O’Donovan is drawn third and McCarthy fifth. Jake McCarthy, twin of Fintan, goes off 15th.
O’Donovan was barely finished his Olympic campaign in the lightweight double when he headed to the World Championships in Canada to win another gold medal, in the lightweight single. Doyle, who like O’Donovan is a doctor, has had no competition at all.
“I haven’t been in the boat since the final in Paris,” he told the Irish Independent.
He got a major surprise when he landed in America and was told that the high performance director, Antonio Maurogiovanni, would not have his contract renewed. Maurogiovanni had emailed Doyle in recent days about the programme.
Doyle did not want to go into detail on his own views. “It is not our decision [to make],” he said. “It is what it is.”
The McCarthy twins and O’Donovan continue a strong Skibbereen link to the Head of the Charles. And it does not stop there. In the women’s Championship Doubles (7.01), Skibbereen’s Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen of UCC, who finished fifth in the final of the lightweight double in Paris, are drawn to go off third.
Tomorrow, Cremen and Casey are part of a notable composite crew, rowing as Skibbereen RC, which goes off second in the women’s Championships Eights (7.25 Irish time).
The strong Irish representation is a reflection of the good performances in Paris.
Meanwhile, Rowing Ireland has announced that their Olympic celebration and awards night, first fixed for November 16, will be held on January 25 at the Fota Island Resort.
The new chair of the board of Rowing Ireland has been announced as Barry McWilliams of Queen’s University, who has extensive rowing experience.