How do you define greatness? A mind-bending feat that surpasses expectation and rationality? A moment of authentic surprise that inverts the weight of pressing odds? Or perhaps an incision in the linear unfurling of your heart?
In sport, we are quick to anoint greatness upon each other. A performance that impresses us is often bestowed the virtue of greatness before it can even truly be understood. It is easy to attach brilliance onto bravery and boldness but sometimes the two should not be conflated. True greatness should combine mastery, magnanimity and more than a hint of magic.
The Olympic Games is our ultimate magic show. A procession of truly elite talent, operating at the pinnacle of their sport and thrust forward into a limelight fostered by four years of relative translucency. These two weeks are stitched into the very fabric of competition, dating back to the lore of Ancient Greece, and have transcended the politics of modern society to become the ultimate marker in sporting excellence. To win Olympic Gold gives you immortality of a rare and timeless specification – your story will be perpetuated forevermore, carried forward by the whispers of generations to come, who too aim to climb those sacred steps and join this club of champions. Emerging over the horizon, this time in the blue and red hue of palatial Paris, we are ready for the very fastest in rowing to be crowned.
Step forward, my friends – The Olympic Games have come.
The Stats
Country
Ireland
Crew Names
Daire Lynch (B)
Philip Doyle (S)
Average Age
29 years
Olympic Record
Tenth in the M2x at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (Doyle)
2024 Competitive Record
World Rowing Cup 1: 3rd (M2x)
World Rowing Cup 2: N/A
World Rowing Cup 3: 1st (M2x)
European Championships: N/A
The Profile
Ireland’s Philip Doyle was a world championship silver medallist in 2019 with partner Ronan Byrne. This pairing raced in Tokyo but were somewhat disappointed with finishing back in tenth. In 2023 Doyle formed a new partnership with Daire Lynch. The new pairing made a strong start to their double act, just missing the podium at the Europeans before going on to take bronze at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup and then another bronze at the world championships. This season they’ve laid down some strong performances, winning bronze at the opening World Rowing Cup and then taking gold at the final World Rowing Cup of the season (Ireland’s first-ever gold medal in this boat class). Ireland have never won an Olympic medal in any of the open-weight men’s events but Lynch and Doyle have a really good chance to end that drought.
About The Author
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