'Nice to write that into the history books' - Banbridge rower Philip Doyle reflects on Olympic Games medal and 'massive mistake'
While Banbridge’s Philip Doyle admits it’s “nice to write that into the history books” after securing Team Ireland’s maiden Olympic Games heavyweight rowing medal by winning double sculls bronze in Paris alongside Daire Lynch, the 31-year-old was also left to rue a “massive mistake” which may have cost them a higher spot on the podium.
Doyle and Lynch ultimately finished just over two seconds adrift of winners Romania and 1.25 seconds behind second-placed Netherlands to take third.
It continues a fine Olympics for Northern Irish athletes after Daniel Wiffen, Jack McMillan and Hannah Scott won gold while Belfast’s Rebecca Shorten narrowly missed out on joining them in the history books, finishing second in Thursday’s coxless fours final by the narrowest of margins.
Doyle, a qualified doctor who took up rowing while studying at Queen’s University 11 years ago, felt the Irish pair were capable of making it past the Dutch, who came into the competition as favourites after sealing silver in Tokyo, but an error allowed them to get away.
"First heavyweight medal ever,” he told RTE Sport. “Nice to write that into the history books.
"I made a massive mistake at the end, I have to apologise to everyone. We were coming for the Dutch big time, could smell them, could sniff them. We knew these lads (Romania) were on another planet on the left hand side.
"We went earlier, we pushed harder through the middle to get through. We knew people would have something else. The mistake I made was combination of all the extra work we had to do in the middle.
"I could feel his (Lynch's) legs going, we went early in our sprint. Thankfully we had enough actually to make the mistake and keep going. Another day, we’ll look back and see where we can improve for whatever comes next."
On Doyle’s medal success, Richard Archibald, Interim CEO, Sport NI said: “Huge congratulations to Phil Doyle and his teammate Daire Lynch on their bronze medal in the Men’s Double Scull for Team Ireland.
“The pair has had an incredible year, winning gold in the Ponzan World Cup and now a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. This is the second rowing medal in Paris for an athlete from Northern Ireland, with hopefully more to follow, and shows the strength of the sport here.
"Our local rowing clubs are providing opportunities and helping our young athletes to grow and thrive in the sport. We are proud to have supported Phil at the start of his career through our National Lottery funded Athlete Award.”