Fintan McCarthy facts for kids
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| Nationality | Irish | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 November 1996 Cork, Ireland |
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| Height | 1.77 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Lightweight double sculls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Fintan McCarthy (born November 23, 1996) is a famous Irish lightweight rower. He is a national champion, a world champion, and has won two Olympic gold medals. He won the men's lightweight double sculls title with his rowing partner, Paul O'Donovan. They achieved this at the 2019 World Rowing Championships and again at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the Tokyo Olympics, they even set a new world record for their event. Fintan also won a bronze medal in lightweight single sculls at the 2020 European Rowing Championships.
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Fintan McCarthy's Rowing Journey
Fintan McCarthy grew up in Skibbereen, a town in County Cork, Ireland. He first tried rowing when he was in primary school. However, he only started taking the sport seriously when he was 15 years old. This was after he watched the exciting London Olympics in 2012.
Early Career and Education
Fintan studied at University College Cork. He earned a degree in physiology, which is the study of how the human body works. This knowledge might even help him understand how to make his body perform better in rowing!
In 2016, Fintan won his very first national rowing title. He achieved this alongside his brother, Jake. The two brothers even made it to the final of the 2019 European Rowing Championships in 2019.
Becoming a World Champion
A big moment in Fintan's career came in 2019. He teamed up with Paul O'Donovan for the men's lightweight double sculls event. They competed at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Austria. There, they rowed incredibly well and won the gold medal, becoming world champions.
In 2020, Fintan also showed his skill in a different event. He won a bronze medal in the men's lightweight single sculls at the 2020 European Rowing Championships in Poland.
Olympic Gold Medals
Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan continued their winning streak. In 2021, they won gold at the 2021 European Rowing Championships. The next month, they won gold again at a World Rowing Cup event.
Their biggest achievement came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in July 2021. In the lightweight double sculls event, Fintan and Paul set a new world record time of 6 minutes and 5.33 seconds during their semifinal race. They then went on to win the gold medal in the final, beating teams from Germany and Italy.
Fintan and Paul represented Ireland again at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. They once more proved they were the best, winning their second consecutive gold medal in the lightweight double sculls event. This made them double Olympic champions!
