Gary O'Donovan

Gary O'Donovan (born 30 December 1992) is an Irish rower.[2] Together with his brother Paul he won the gold medal in the lightweight double sculls at the 2016 European Rowing Championships, silver in the same discipline at the 2016 Summer Olympics,[3][4] and gold at the 2018 World Rowing Championships.[5] He was the flag bearer for Ireland during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics.[6]

Gary O'Donovan
Gary O'Donovan (right) with brother Paul at the 2016 European Rowing Championships
Personal information
Native nameGary O' Donovan
NationalityIrish
Born (1992-12-30) 30 December 1992
Lisheen, Cork, Ireland
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Weight70 kg (150 lb)
Sport
Country Ireland
SportRowing
Event(s)Lightweight double sculls
Coached by
  • Teddy O'Donovan
  • Dominic Casey
Achievements and titles
Olympic finalsSilver Medal (Lightweight double sculls, Rio 2016)[1]
Medal record
Men's Rowing
Representing  Ireland
Olympic Games
2016 Rio de JaneiroLM2x
World Championships
2018 PlovdivLM2x
European Championships
2016 BrandenburgLM2x
2017 RačiceLM2x
2018 GlasgowLM2x

Early life

Gary O'Donovan was born on December 30, 1992 to Trish and Teddy O'Donovan, and grew up in Lisheen near Skibbereen in County Cork.[7][8] He attended Lisheen National School, later St Fachtna's De La Salle secondary school in Skibbereen.[9] He also went to study part-time at Cork Institute of Technology in 2011, and graduated with a degree in Marketing in 2016.[10]

Gary and his younger brother Paul became involved with rowing in 2001 when he was aged around eight. His father, who was a rower, took the two brothers to Skibbereen Rowing Club where he coached them in the sport.[11] They were selected for the Irish junior team at the Home International Regatta held in Wales in 2008, and won gold in the junior quad sculls.[12]

Rowing career

In April 2016, Paul and Gary O'Donovan won silver in the lightweight double sculls at the first World Rowing Cup events of the year in Varese, Italy.[13] In the following month, the pair won the 2016 European Rowing Championships gold medal in the double sculls in Brandenburg, Germany.[14]

In August 2016 at the Rio Olympics, the O'Donovan brothers won silver behind France in the lightweight double sculls, the first rowing medal won by Ireland in the Olympics.[15]

In 2017, the brothers won silver in men's lightweight double sculls at the European Rowing Championships in May 2017. They also won silver at the second World Rowing Cup regatta of the season in Poland in June,[16] and bronze at the third in July.[17]

At the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, the O'Donovan brothers won silver in the lightweight double sculls,[18] and later became world champions in the same event at the 2018 World Rowing Championships.[5]

References
  1. "Rio 2016". Rio Olympics. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  2. "Paul and Gary O'Donovan show Olympic credentials". Irish Times. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  3. "Rio 2016: Gary and Paul O'Donovan win Ireland's first ever Olympic rowing medal". BBC Sport. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  4. "O'Donovan brothers: These Irish rowers are giving the best interviews at the Olympics". Daily Telegraph. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  5. "It's gold for the O'Donovan brothers in Bulgaria". RTÉ Sport. 15 September 2018.
  6. "The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony". Olympics.com. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  7. "The O'Donovan brothers have committed their lives to rowing and it could all pay off in 2016". thejournal.ie. June 22, 2016.
  8. Gorman, Liam (August 12, 2016). "From Lisheen to Olympic medalists – Gary and Paul O'Donovan winning hearts". Irish Times.
  9. Shanahan, Catherine (August 12, 2016). "Wind with West Cork's rowing O'Donovan brothers". Irish Examiner.
  10. Barry, Stephen (July 17, 2016). "Gary and Paul O'Donovan: Ireland's Olympic brothers talk family, inspiration and beating pain". Irish Examiner.
  11. Brennan, Colin (27 December 2016). "Irish Olympic rowers Paul and Gary O'Donovan reveal how they axed dad as coach just three years before winning medals in Rio". Irish Mirror.
  12. "New York Benefit Dinner". ucd.ie. 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017.
  13. "Silver for Paul O'Donovan at Varese World Rowing Cup". UCD Boat Club. 18 April 2016.
  14. Gorman, Liam (8 May 2016). "Gold for O'Donovan brothers at European Rowing Championships". Irish Times.
  15. Slawson, Nicola (14 August 2016). "Ireland's O'Donovan brothers become web sensations after medal win". The Guardian.
  16. "O'Donovan brothers take silver at World Cup regatta". RTE. 18 June 2017.
  17. "O'Donovan brothers take bronze at World Cup event". RTE. 9 July 2017.
  18. "European Championships: O'Donovan brothers take Lightweight Double Sculls silver medal". BBC Sport. 5 August 2018.
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