Irish Olympic gold medallists Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy have both been included in World Rowing's top 10 list of the best rowers for 2021.
The pair won gold for Ireland in the men's lightweight double sculls at the Tokyo Olympics in July. They also set a new world best time in their Olympic semi-final.
O'Donovan makes the list at number five and his fellow Corkman McCarthy is at number six.
Ahead of the Irish duo on the list are the four Dutchmen who won gold in the quadruple sculls in Tokyo. 31-year-old Dirk Uittenbogaard is at number one.
29 July 2021; Fintan McCarthy, left, and Paul O'Donovan of Ireland celebrate with their gold medals after winning the Men's Lightweight Double Sculls final at the Sea Forest Waterway during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
"Leading the bunch, and helped by his longevity in the sport, was Dirk Uittenbogaard," say World Rowing.
"Filling the bow seat in his country’s quad, Uittenbogaard started rowing internationally 14 years ago with the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships. He medalled at the 2016 Olympic Games in the eight but 2021 truly was Uittenbogaard’s year, capped by Olympic gold."
World Rowing top 10 Men 2021
1. Dirk Uittenbogaard
2. Abe Wiersma
3. Tone Wieten
4. Koen Metsemakers
5. Paul O’Donovan
6. Fintan McCarthy
7. Valent Sinkovic
8. Martin Sinkovic
9. Matthieu Androdias
10. Hugo Boucheron
Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
See Also: Paul O'Donovan Turned His Hand To Cross Country At The Weekend
