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 today. The autumn event draws huge crowds and some of the best rowers in the world.
But the race comes amid the fallout of Maurogiovanni’s exit. Ross Corrigan, a finalist at Paris 2024 in the men’s pair, said he felt that the way the decision was conveyed, with no official statement released as the news spread, was “a kick in the teeth” for the Italian.
“That was no way to honour a man who has put his life and soul into making sure that his crews perform at the best [standard],” he said.
“At the end of the day, you’re always going to have with coaches, and especially great coaches and management, you’re going to have people who fully believe in them and people who don’t.
“Unfortunately, it seems to be that people who don’t believe have had their own personal grievances [and] have come [to the issue] on a personal front to make noise about that and really drag his name through the mud.
“But at the end of the day, my experience – and it is a broader experience for a lot of the team – is that he did really do his best to make sure as many people as possible would achieve success under his programme.
“I’m not saying the programme was not difficult, but at the end of the day, we’re there to try and win medals at the Olympics and it shouldn’t be easy for anyone. It is not an easy task.”
Corrigan said he had some days when he fell out with Maurogiovanni. “But that was always resolved. The man has never taken a gripe or a grudge and held it against me.
“Success speaks for itself. If the board thinks that’s not good enough then that is interesting.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he added. “Dominic Casey [the outgoing lightweight coach] coming in as interim programme lead, I have a lot of respect, a lot of love for Dominic. I think Dominic can do great things. But I think it is a bit of a disservice to Dominic to be brought in in such a manner. Because it leaves a bit of a bad taste.”
Doyle said he got a major surprise when he landed in America and was told the news regarding Maurogiovanni. The high performance director had emailed Doyle in recent days about the programme.
Doyle, who partnered Daire Lynch to a bronze medal in the men’s double in Paris, goes off first in the prestigious race today (7.12pm Irish time). 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.
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).
In the men’s senior master doubles (50 and over), held yesterday, Sean Jacob and Albert Maher of Old Collegians finished third.