Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy begin Olympic defence in style

The Skibbereen men had over seven seconds to spare on the Norwegian crew that came in behind them in their opening heat at this 2024 Olympic regatta.

That’s miles in rowing terms and it was never in doubt. Was it the ‘best’ row in their class on the day? No.

The Italians were five seconds quicker, the Swiss ten. Those botas are seeded two and one respectively in the lightweight doubles.

Ireland, the reigning champions and a double act considered unbeatable for years, are sitting third.

Why? Well, a French boat edged them out in a World Cup event in Lucerne this time last year. That was their first loss in four years.

More to the point, they finished third behind the Italians and the Swiss at their last World Cup, again in Lucerne, two months ago.

Mere cracks, if that, for an Irish partnership that had spent the vast majority of the three-year cycle literally rowing their own boats, but cracks can look like chasms to opponents who suffered under their yoke for so long.

O’Donovan was happy to lean into all this, his deadpan delivery only adding to the comedic value.

“If you look at the seeding list we are way down on it this time. I can’t even count how many names are above us.

"Maybe that is down to the lack of my counting abilities and I forgot my abacus, but the pressure is on everyone else here.

“We are just here to enjoy ourselves, do the best we can and take a few of the big scalps all going well. 

"So we have been really enjoying it out there and hopefully there will be more to come from us and the big names will be worried because there is a target on their back.”

There’s no doubt but that O’Donovan and McCarthy have heard whispers of doubts about their candidacy this time. They were deemed untouchable in Tokyo but respected rowing commentators are openly talking up the chances of others.

“And what’s happened is, we’ve kind of shifted [the target] without them realising, so it’s after taking them by surprise now. And they’re kind of getting worried, is the feeling around the boat park. Being the favourites, they’re not used to it.”

This was hammy stuff that would not have been out of place in a 1920s musical hall and that was exactly the intent. O’Donovan described talk of them being favourites as “delusional”.

Somehow, they’re trying to fashion themselves anew as underdogs. Quite the trick in itself.

“We always have something to prove,” said O’Donovan.

“Chips on our shoulders, really” McCarthy smiled.

“Yeah, big chips on our shoulders,” his partner added.

Pull like a dog? More a case of pull like an underdog.

“It's a position which suits us and we have shown in the past we can pull it out of the bag on the big occasion,” said O’Donovan as they go in search of yet another major medal.

“Hopefully we can do that again this week.”