Success is always relative. For 15-year-old Fintan McCarthy, starting off at Skibbereen Rowing Club, the idea of competing in the World Championships might have seemed an impossibility. Fourteen years on, a double Olympic gold medallist failing to make the final at the worlds felt like failure.
As ever, there are shades of grey between the extremes and Fintan’s fifth-placed finish in the ‘B’ final of the single sculls carried an asterisk, as he continues to transition from the lightweight classes, which have been replaced by coastal rowing at the Olympics.
It says much about his ability to see the overall picture that he could take joy – and no shortage of inspiration – from Zoe Hyde and Margaret Cremen winning the women’s double sculls and Fiona Murtagh winning a singles silver.
“I think seeing the success of the women’s double and Fiona was what I’m probably going to take most from the championships,” he says.
“I think it was one of the most inspiring displays I’ve seen in a very long time and it’s really given the whole team a boost, knowing that we have everything we need around us, really, and it’s just down to what you do yourself during the year is what’s going to get that result.
“I think looking at them, it’s hard to fault anything they’ve done this year, especially the girls’ double. I was training alongside Fiona for the last few weeks and, even just to see how she’s handled a lot of her setbacks, this year and in the final few weeks, it has kind of gave me a kick up the ass and showed me that there’s a lot more I could be doing.”
As important as the worlds are, the Olympics are of course the big priority. In that regard, a dip in form – or a “kick in the ass” exactly halfway through the cycle might be a blessing in disguise.
“Obviously, a world championships is the most important competition in the year,” Fintan says.
“But, in terms of the grand scheme of things, I’ve been a world champion every year since 2019 – a world or Olympic champion in some event, except for 2020 obviously – but that feeling that there’s more to be done is a good motivation, especially when things have gone right for so long.
“I think to be reminded that you still have to get everything right and make sure you’re ticking all the boxes is a really good lesson to learn.
“I know that some of it was out of my control, but a lot of it was in my control as well, so I think taking ownership of what I need to work on and get better will help.”
Open-weight
Having to compete at open-weight level naturally brings its own challenges, something that Fintan and his coaches continue to tease out.
“I guess the first year, we had some good success without too much physical change,” he says, “so that sort of got the ball rolling in terms of ideas, leaning probably more towards the fitness side rather than bulking up and physicality and that kind of thing.
“I think this year, with injury and stuff, I probably didn’t have as much of a chance to push the physicality too much. The fitness was quite good at times during the season, but especially lining up in the singles, we learned that there probably does need to be a little bit more strength there. That’s something we’re going to have a look at over the next few weeks, just before we kick off into really, really hard training and set some targets.
“We’re looking at strength more than bulk and size; that’s sort of where our heads are at the moment.”
But, given his relatively late start in rowing, he is versed in making up ground on the competition.
In the time since, he has seen a huge level of positive change in the sport. As an ambassador for the Spar/Eurospar Community Sports Fund – a €60,000 initiative which supports 30 grassroots sports clubs across Ireland – he is keen to help the next generation of would-be Olympians, wherever their talents may lie.
“I was a bit old starting,” he says, “there are plenty of 11- or 12-year-olds down there now and I think there’s even waiting lists – not only in Skibbereen, but in clubs around the country – to get in the door and try out rowing, which is really positive.Especially as a minority sport, it’s important to recognise that there’s something out there for everyone.
“When I was younger, my brother was much more sporty in that regard, so he kind of excelled there and I think sometimes it can make you think that maybe sport isn’t for you.
“To be able to back a campaign like this, where you’re getting those smaller clubs and minority sports out there to young kids who mightn’t have thought of it before, and hopefully they’ll be able to find a place in whatever they’re interested in, that’s really positive.”
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