In an unprecedented achievement, Team Ireland has secured spots in four rowing finals at the Olympic Games, setting a new record. Among the highlights are the Men’s Pair (M2-), the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x), and the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x), all of which will compete in their respective finals on August 2nd.

Men’s Pair (M2-) Makes History
Nathan Timoney (23) and Ross Corrigan (25) made history by becoming the first Irish Men’s Pair to reach an Olympic final. The Fermanagh duo finished third in their semi-final, following a strong start and maintaining their position against formidable competitors. The reigning World Champions, Great Britain, and the European silver medallists, Romania, edged out Timoney and Corrigan by just over half a second. This achievement surpasses the previous best finish by Pat Gannon and Willie Ryan, who placed seventh at the 1980 Moscow Games.

Reflecting on their race, Timoney expressed the intensity and strategy involved: “That was epic, epic racing! Definitely a replication from last year’s World Champs final. I think it was necessary. We definitely had to go out a little harder than we did in the heats . A lesson learnt. We knew we’d definitely suffered for it a little bit for it in the second half and obviously in the last 250m the Kiwis were coming back at us quite swiftly, kudos to them but to be in front, you’re in control of the race and if we could see them coming we could kind of react. I think we did that pretty well. We were just holding on for dear life in the last 150.

“In the middle of it it’s hard to know sometimes where you are. The way I race is I try to be as internal as possible. Sometimes Ross would make the call and let me know where we are but I like to be internal and certainly, in the last 250 you realise you’re in for a dog-fight and that’s where the body wakes up and you’re like ‘right, let’s make a move”

Corrigan, whose cousin – golfer Leona Maguire is also on the Irish team, added: “We had a plan up until 1500m and then we were leaving it in God’s hands. We knew we’d move when we needed to move and I called it a bit earlier today, in the last 300 the Kiwis were coming back at us but we knew in the heat that we had enough to come back at them so we knew we could keep pushing on and then the last 100 you’re just holding on and trying not to slow the boat down more than anything. Just make no mistakes!”

Reigning Champions Shine in Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)
Olympic and World Champions Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy showcased their dominance by winning their semi-final in the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls. The Cork double, trailing initially, surged ahead at the halfway mark, leaving their competitors behind. They secured a clear victory over the Swiss team, who had previously beaten them at World Cup II.

O’Donovan noted their strong performance and the anticipation for the final: “We felt good with the performance. The legs are feeling strong, I was feeling that way on camp on our training camp, we were moving the boat well and we had a lot of fatigue in the legs then, but freshening up a little bit now and starting to improve the technique a little bit since we’ve been here so we’re very much looking forward to Friday.”

McCarthy added: “It was just to feel good racing again and I don’t think we’ve been that sort of in with the pack as early on (in the season) as recent times so it was nice to kind of be back, and be back commanding races, and we’ll see how we get on, on Friday.”

The duo will face Italy, Greece, and Norway, among others, in what promises to be a fiercely contested race.

Looking ahead to that race O’Donovan gave his view; “I think it’ll be a tough race; Italy are fast starters, Greece are fast starters, the Swiss are fast off the start and they hold it a long ways out. The Czechs can go off very quick, you know, Norway quick off the start, quick sprint finish as well if they get going so I think it’ll really be kind of hang in there in the first 1000m for us, and once you’re in the pack then I think the race will kind of start again there, and people will start to make a move again, and hopefully we’ll be able to respond and take it up ourselves.”

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) Reach Their First Final
Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey have progressed to their first Olympic final in the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls, marking a significant improvement from their eighth-place finish in Tokyo. The Cork duo delivered a stellar performance, securing third place in a tight race against Greece and Romania.

Casey described the race as a grueling yet exhilarating experience: “You’re in the pain cave out there, in the pain cave definitely but you don’t even have time to think about it, it comes so fast! I think it was pretty flat to be honest (conditions).Our focus is just to try and get out of the start strong, get into a race pace and then you’re just kind of thinking of one split faster, one second faster. You’re just trying to kind of do as much as you can in the race to put yourself in the right position for the sprint, and I think we did that.

You know we were alongside the French, we’re always alongside the French in the big races, but we were kind of like just tracking everyone, feeling good and making sure that our approach was counted so I think when we got to the nitty gritty in that last quarter we just wanted to empty the tank. I think we did so really delighted that we were on the right side of the margin this time because last year we were on the wrong side of it you know. So I think it’s just the learnings, we’re through all the up and downs, and we’re really excited to have I suppose achieved our goal of the final, so super excited for Friday to see what we can leave on the water.”

Women’s Pair (W2-) Show Strength Despite Setback
In contrast, the Women’s Pair (W2-) of Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh demonstrated resilience, finishing sixth in their semi-final. Despite not qualifying for the A Final, the Galway rowers will compete in the B Final on Friday, August 2, 2024, at 09:54 AM IST, showing their determination and skill.

Looking Ahead
Ireland’s rowers are gearing up for an exciting day of competition on Thursday, August 1st, with multiple teams competing in both A and B finals. Fans can look forward to witnessing the impressive skills and determination of these athletes as they take to the water, showcasing their hard work and dedication.

Men’s Double Sculls Compete for Medal
After a series of strong performances, Doyle and Lynch are set to compete for a medal, aiming to add to Ireland’s illustrious rowing achievements. Their journey to the final has been marked by exceptional teamwork and perseverance, making them strong contenders in this highly anticipated race.

Men’s Double Sculls Final A: Phillip Doyle & Daire Lynch
Lane 3 | Time: 10:30 am IST / 11:30 am CET

The lineup for the Final includes:
Lane 1: Romania
Lane 2: Spain
Lane 4: Netherlands
Lane 5: USA
Lane 6: New Zealand

Women’s Double Sculls Final B: Alison Bergin & Zoe Hyde
Lane 2 | Time: 9:30 am IST / 10:30 am CET

The competitors in this B Final are:
Lane 1: Italy
Lane 3: Czech Republic
Lane 4: Australia
Lane 5: USA
Lane 6: China

Women’s Four Final B: Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Natalie Long, and Imogen Magner
Lane 1 | Time: 9:54 am IST / 10:54 am CET

The other two B finalists in this race are:
Lane 2: Denmark
Lane 3: Australia

Supporting Our Athletes
As these talented rowers prepare for their respective finals, the support from fans and the entire country will be crucial. Each of these athletes has shown exceptional dedication and has made Ireland proud with their performances.