DOUBLE Olympic lightweight champion Fintan McCarthy progressed comfortably into the quarter-finals of the men’s single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.

The Skibbereen rower is navigating very different territory here. Moving into the open-weight single brings new opponents, different physical demands and, psychologically, the challenge of being highly accomplished while simultaneously learning again. 

His opening objective in Wednesday’s heat was simple: progress. Finishing second, he did. Job done.

It’s now onto Friday afternoon’s quarter-final.