The 2024 Paris Olympics rowing events have concluded with several remarkable performances across various categories. In the men’s lightweight double sculls, Irish duo Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy successfully defended their Olympic title, winning gold with a time of 6:10.99, ahead of Italy (6:13.33) and Greece (6:13.44). O’Donovan and McCarthy’s victory marks a historic moment as they become the first Irish athletes since Dr. Pat Callaghan in 1928 and 1932 to successfully defend an Olympic title.In the women’s lightweight double sculls, Great Britain’s Emily Craig and Imogen Grant claimed gold, redeeming themselves after narrowly missing out on a medal by 0.01 seconds in Tokyo three years ago. Their victory is particularly poignant as this event will be removed from the Olympic program after the Paris Games. Grant commented on the significance of their win, saying, ‘It does mean the stakes are slightly higher. You could become Olympic champions forever.’ The men’s double sculls event saw Croatian brothers Martin and Valent Sinkovic secure their third consecutive Olympic title with a time of 6:23.66, narrowly edging out the British duo Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Tom George (6:24.11). Switzerland’s Roman Röösli and Andrin Gulich claimed bronze with a time of 6:24.76, marking Switzerland’s first medal at the Paris Olympics.These results contribute to the overall medal standings, with Team GB now holding seven gold, eight silver, and eight bronze medals, placing them sixth in the rankings. The rowing events have been a significant source of medals for Great Britain, with six of their total medals coming from this discipline.As the Paris Olympics continue, attention now turns to other events, with the Games set to conclude on August 11.
Key points
- Irish duo O’Donovan and McCarthy defend their Olympic title in men’s lightweight double sculls.
- Great Britain’s Craig and Grant win gold in women’s lightweight double sculls, redeeming their narrow miss in Tokyo.
- Croatian brothers Sinkovic secure their third consecutive Olympic title in men’s double sculls.
- These rowing events contribute significantly to Team GB’s medal count, placing them sixth overall.
