Fintan McCarthy Reflects on Tough 2026 Season After World Championships Setback and Eyes 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy has reflected on a difficult 2026 season in which he finished 11th overall at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam — the first time since 2019 that he has concluded a season without winning a world or Olympic championship title — describing the experience as a valuable learning opportunity as he transitions to heavyweight competition and targets a return to the top of the podium at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Background
Fintan McCarthy's career trajectory has been one of the most remarkable in Irish sporting history. The Cork rower, who won Olympic gold in the lightweight double sculls at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 alongside Paul O'Donovan, was widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished lightweight rowers in the world. His partnership with O'Donovan produced a series of world and European championship titles that established Ireland as a dominant force in lightweight rowing and made the pair household names in Irish sport.
The discontinuation of the lightweight rowing category from the Olympic programme — a decision taken by World Rowing in response to concerns about the health risks associated with weight-cutting — forced McCarthy to make a fundamental reassessment of his career. The transition from lightweight to heavyweight competition is not merely a matter of eating more; it requires a complete recalibration of training methods, boat selection, and competitive strategy. McCarthy, who competed at approximately 70 kilograms as a lightweight, has had to adapt to competing against athletes who may be 20 or 30 kilograms heavier and who have spent their entire careers developing the power and endurance required for heavyweight events.
The 2026 season was McCarthy's first full year in the heavyweight single sculls, and it was complicated from the outset by a back injury that caused him to miss early-season trials. The injury disrupted his preparation and meant that he arrived at the World Championships in Amsterdam without the accumulated training load that would normally underpin a championship performance.
Key Developments
At the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, McCarthy progressed through the heats and quarter-finals before finishing fourth in his semi-final — one place outside the top three required to qualify for the A final. He subsequently competed in the B final, finishing fifth with a time of 6:46.07, giving him an 11th-place overall finish. The result was a significant disappointment for a rower of McCarthy's calibre, but he has been characteristically honest in his assessment of the season.
"It was a tough year," he told RTÉ Sport in an interview published this week. "I had a strong final two months leading into the World Championships, but I lacked the preparation throughout the rest of the year. There's a lot more I could be doing, and I know that." McCarthy cited the success of teammates Zoe Hyde, Margaret Cremen, and Fiona Murtagh as a source of inspiration that provided him with what he described as "a kick up the ass" to improve his training and mental approach heading into the next Olympic cycle.
Looking ahead, McCarthy is weighing several options for the 2027 season, including the double sculls, quad sculls, pair, and single sculls. He anticipates that Paul O'Donovan will return to training, which will increase competition for seats in the men's boats. Before the winter training period, he is scheduled to compete in a mixed quad event in Australia.
Why It Matters
McCarthy's willingness to reflect publicly on a difficult season — rather than deflecting or making excuses — is characteristic of the culture of honesty and accountability that has made Irish rowing one of the most successful programmes in the country's sporting history. The transition from lightweight to heavyweight competition is genuinely difficult, and the fact that McCarthy finished 11th at his first World Championships in the heavyweight single sculls is not a failure but a starting point. For context, the heavyweight single sculls is one of the most competitive events in world rowing, with athletes from Norway, New Zealand, Great Britain, and the Netherlands consistently dominating the podium. McCarthy's 11th-place finish in his first year in the event is a reasonable foundation on which to build, and his track record of improvement suggests that he will be significantly more competitive in 2027 and 2028.
Local Impact
McCarthy's career has been a source of enormous pride for his home county of Cork and for the rowing community across Ireland. The Skibbereen Rowing Club, which has produced both McCarthy and O'Donovan, has become one of the most celebrated sporting institutions in the country, and its success has inspired a generation of young rowers across West Cork and beyond. The club's coaching staff, led by Dominic Casey, have developed a distinctive training philosophy that emphasises technical excellence, mental resilience, and a culture of continuous improvement — qualities that McCarthy has embodied throughout his career. His return to form in 2027 and 2028 will be eagerly anticipated by the Irish rowing community and by the broader Irish sporting public.
What's Next
McCarthy will compete in a mixed quad event in Australia before beginning his winter training programme. The 2027 season will be crucial for establishing his boat class ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics, with the World Championships in Lucerne providing the key qualification event. Paul O'Donovan's return to training will be a significant factor in the selection process, with the possibility of the pair reuniting in the double sculls — the event in which they have been most successful — remaining open. High Performance Ireland is expected to announce its rowing programme for the 2027-2028 Olympic cycle in early 2027, setting out the selection criteria and the events that will be prioritised for Los Angeles.
