Paul O'Donovan wins lightweight single sculls final at World Rowing ...
Double medal joy for Ireland as Siobhán McCrohan claims bronze in women’s lightweight single sculls
Paul O’Donovan did it again. The Ireland lightweight sculler added World Championship gold to his Olympic gold in Paris with a strong performance in St Catharines, Canada.
O’Donovan did not have it easy. Greek sculler Antonios Papakonstantinou gave him a good battle, before the Skibbereen man came through to win by over two seconds in a time of 6:49.68.
Niels Torre of Italy, who had set a World Best Time in the heats on Sunday, took the bronze.
O’Donovan (30) won silver and two gold medals at the Olympic Games in the lightweight double sculls, and in 2016 he set the pattern for this victory by adding World Championship gold in the lightweight single to the silver he had won at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
After his victory, O’Donovan told Worldrowing.com: “Very close in the first stages. (Papakonstantinou) took off and I was like, I better follow him, he's pretty dangerous...I had to go with him and I tracked him down in the end.
“I got a little bit ahead and just kept working to avoid the sprint at the finish because I could see USA and Italy were fighting it out and closing down on the two of us. Happy to cross the line in the front position.”
Ireland's Paul O'Donovan after finishing first in the lightweight men's single sculls final at the World Rowing Championships at Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course in St Catharines, Canada. Photo: Stephen Leithwood/Sportsfile
The Ireland medal count on the day had already been boosted by Siobhán McCrohan. She took her second successive medal at the World Championships, a bronze in a time of 7:32.94.
Last year, at 36, she won gold in the lightweight single sculls, but this time the challenge was much stronger.
Ionela Cozmiuc of Romania bounced into the Championships directly from taking silver in the lightweight double sculls at Paris 2024. She proved to be a deserved favourite, leading right down the course and taking gold.
Women's single scull medallist, from left, Zoi Fitsiou of Greece, silver, Ionela Livia Cozmiu of Romania, gold and Siobhan McCrohan of Ireland, bronze, stand at the podium after the lightweight women's single sculls final at the World Rowing Championships at Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course in St Catharines, Canada. Photo by Stephen Leithwood/Sportsfile
McCrohan took over in second from the middle stages, seeing off France. But Zoi Fitsou of Greece, a bronze medallist in Paris in the lightweight double, overcame a bad start to find her form. She pushed past McCrohan on the run-up to the line to take silver.
Earlier, the Ireland Under-19 men’s quadruple qualified for the World Championships A Final on Sunday – by a whisker.
Italy and the Czech Republic took first and second, while Hungary and Ireland battled for the crucial third place for much of the race. Ireland won it on the line, by .41 of a second.
Anna Brennan and Moya Knowles came out the other end of a similar fight for places. The Ireland’s Under-19 women’s double sat in the dreaded fourth in the third quarter of their semi-final, as Greece and Spain owned the first two places and Italy held third.
The New Ross/Skibbereen combination upped their rate and pushed Italy hard, but coming to the line, the Italians raced to the line and held Ireland off by 1.11 seconds.
Ireland will have two crews in medal races on Sunday, the final day of the regatta. The Under-19 men’s quadruple (6.13pm Irish time) will be joined by the Under-19 men’s coxed four, which races in a straight final at 4.41pm Irish time.
