PAUL O’DONOVAN AND Fintan McCarthy were satisfied with their performance after powering to victory in their men’s lightweight double sculls heat.
The Irish gold medal favourites were never troubled at the Sea Forest waterway in Tokyo finishing with a time of 6:23.74. Their nearest competitor, Czech Republic, came in second with 6:28.10 on the clock. The Polish duo claimed third.
Speaking to RTE in their post-race interview, O’Donovan and McCarthy said they were happy with their first day out.
“It is quite warm but I think we have done a lot of prep. We did some cycling in our bathroom in Italy. We were on a camp in Banyoles in Spain before where it is quite warm. We are well prepared,” explained Fintan McCarthy.
“I think things are going well so far. We will just try to keep the momentum going and do what we do. Stick to our guns.”
When asked if they had a message for viewers at home, O’Donovan replied with typical wit: “I’d say go to bed, to be honest. Don’t mind watching us fools here. The repeat is on in the morning I’m sure.”
'We did some cycling in our bathroom in Italy' - Fintan McCarthy and @PaulO_Donovan fill @jacquihurley on their preparations for lightweight double sculls#tokyo2020 #olympics #rtesport
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 24, 2021
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