Paul O’Donovan bids to add World gold to Olympic silver medal
The Skibbereen native yesterday won his semi-final in the U23 World Rowing Championships in Rotterdam and will be one of the favourites in tomorrow’s final.
Win or lose tomorrow, he and Gary will reunite next Monday to be driven through Skibbereen in an open-top bus, with a crowd of up to 10,000 expected to turn out to welcome them home.
Meanwhile, fellow silver medallist Annalise Murphy was given a hero’s welcome yesterday afternoon as a flotilla of fellow members of the National Yacht Club accompanied her into Dún Laoghaire.
The sailor, who won the medal four years after heartbreak in the London Olympics, was then guest of honour at a ceremony at the People’s Park.
In her honour, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council announced the Annalise Murphy Sailing Bursary, which will be used to inspire other young sailors.
Earlier, she met up with members of the Irish Paralympics team ahead of their flight to Brazil yesterday afternoon.
Due to the decision earlier this week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to uphold the International Paralympic Committee’s suspension of Russia from the Games, Ireland has been awarded an extra slot in cycling, with tandem cycling pair Peter Ryan from Tipperary and Marcin Mizgakski from Wexford joining the squad.
