Paul O'Donovan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paul O'Donovan

O'Donovan at the 2016 European Rowing Championships
Personal information
Nationality	Irish
Born	(1994-04-19) 19 April 1994 (age 31) Lisheen, County Cork, Ireland
Height	1.77 m
Weight	74 kg
Sport
Country	Ireland
Sport	Rowing
Event(s)	Lightweight double sculls Lightweight single sculls
Coached by	Teddy O'Donovan Dominic Casey
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	Gold medal (Lightweight double sculls, Tokyo 2020) Gold Medal (Lightweight double sculls, Paris 2024) Silver medal (Lightweight double sculls, Rio de Janeiro 2016)
Medal record Men's rowing Representing  Ireland Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Lwt double sculls Gold 2024 Paris Lwt double sculls Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Lwt double sculls World Championships Gold 2016 Rotterdam Lwt single sculls Gold 2017 Sarasota Lwt single sculls Gold 2018 Plovdiv Lwt double sculls Gold 2019 Ottensheim Lwt double sculls Gold 2022 Račice Lwt double sculls Gold 2023 Belgrade Lwt double sculls Gold 2024 St. Catharines Lwt single sculls European Championships Gold 2016 Brandenburg an der Havel Lwt double sculls Gold 2021 Varese Lwt double sculls Gold 2022 Oberschleißheim Lwt double sculls Silver 2017 Račice Lwt double sculls Silver 2018 Glasgow Lwt double sculls World U23 Championships Bronze 2013 Ottensheim Lwt single sculls

Paul O'Donovan is a super successful Irish rower born on April 19, 1994. He is famous for winning two Olympic gold medals in lightweight double sculls. He even set a world record time in this event!

Paul is also a seven-time world champion in both single and double sculls. He first won a world championship in 2016. He won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics with his brother, Gary O'Donovan. Later, they won gold at the 2018 World Championships.

Since 2019, Paul has teamed up with Fintan McCarthy. Together, they have won many gold medals. This includes the 2019 World Championships, the 2021 European Championships, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They also won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Winning medals at three different Olympics makes Paul O'Donovan the most successful Irish Olympian ever! In August 2024, people voted him "Ireland's greatest-ever Olympian." He was also named RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year in December 2024.

Paul O'Donovan's Early Life

Paul O'Donovan was born on April 19, 1994, in Lisheen, near Skibbereen, County Cork. His parents are Teddy and Trish O'Donovan. He went to school in Skibbereen, just like his older brother Gary.

Paul started studying Physiotherapy at University College Dublin in 2012. He graduated in 2017. Later, he studied Medicine at University College Cork and graduated in May 2023.

Paul was only about seven years old when his dad, who was also a rower, took him and Gary to Skibbereen Rowing Club. Their father coached them in rowing until 2013. Paul's third cousin, Emily Hegarty, also won an Olympic rowing bronze medal!

Paul O'Donovan's Rowing Journey

Paul and Gary O'Donovan were chosen for the Irish junior team in 2008. They won gold in the junior quad sculls at a competition in Wales. Paul became the junior single sculls champion of Ireland when he was 15.

He finished fourth in the 2011 World Junior Championships. When he was 19, he won a bronze medal at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Austria.

2016: Olympic Silver and World Gold

In April 2016, Paul and Gary won silver in Italy. The next month, they won a gold medal at the European Rowing Championships in Germany. They had just barely qualified for the Rio Olympics.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the O'Donovan brothers won a silver medal. This was Ireland's first-ever Olympic rowing medal! Just two weeks later, Paul won gold in the lightweight single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in the Netherlands.

2017: More Medals

The brothers won silver in the lightweight double sculls at the 2017 European Rowing Championships. They also won silver and bronze medals at other World Rowing Cup events.

At the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Florida, Paul won another gold medal in the lightweight men's single sculls. His brother Gary was not well, so they didn't race together in the double sculls event.

2018: World Champions Again

In 2018, the O'Donovan brothers won silver at the European Rowing Championships. Then, in September, they became world champions in the lightweight double sculls at the World Rowing Championships.

2019: New Partner, New Gold

In 2019, Paul teamed up with Fintan McCarthy for the World Rowing Championships in Austria. They won gold in the lightweight double sculls. This win also meant the Irish team qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

2021: Olympic Gold and World Record

Paul and Fintan won gold at the 2021 European Rowing Championships. The next month, they won gold again at a World Rowing Cup event.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in July 2021), Paul and Fintan set a new world record time! They finished their lightweight double sculls semifinal in just 6 minutes and 5.33 seconds. They then went on to win the gold medal, beating teams from Germany and Italy.

2022: European Gold Again

Paul spent some time in Australia for his medical studies in 2022. But he reunited with Fintan McCarthy to win gold again at the 2022 European Rowing Championships. This was their second gold in a row!

2023: Third World Title

Paul and Fintan won their third world title together in Belgrade. They won the Double Sculls event at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. This win also qualified them for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

2024: Historic Olympic Gold

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy represented Ireland again at the 2024 Summer Olympics. They won their second gold medal in a row in the lightweight double sculls! This made Paul the only Irish Olympian to win medals at three different Olympic Games. Just a few weeks after his Olympic win, Paul also won gold in the Single Sculls at the 2024 World Championships in Canada.