Konan Pazzaia
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Irish | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 July 2001 Geneva, Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Lightweight double sculls | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Konan Pazzaia (born 5 July 2001) is an Irish rower. He was a bronze medalist at the European Rowing Championships in 2025.[1]
Early and personal life
[edit]He was born in Geneva after his mother Sarah Tohill, moved from Finaghy to study for a Ph.D in organic chemistry and married his father Swiss-Italian Pascal Pazzaia. The family moved to Andilly, France when he was two years-old where they remained until he was 15 years-old when they relocated back to Switzerland. He served mandatory national service in the Swiss military as a Swiss citizen. He took up rowing after being inspired seeing Paul O'Donovan and his brother Gary O'Donovan at the 2016 Rio Olympics. His grandparents Maura and Pearse were both teachers in Belfast and he moved to the city to study for a degree in human biology at Queen's University Belfast. Whilst there, Pazzaia began to train with coach John Armstrong and also trained with future U23 World Champion Ciaran Purdy.[2]
Career
[edit]Pazzaia represented Switzerland at the Coupe de la Jeunesse whilst an U19 rower. He won World U23 bronze medal representing Ireland in 2022, and won the gold medal the following year, both alongside Brian Colsh. He trained with Daire Lynch and Phillip Doyle prior to the 2024 Olympic Games and was named as a spare for the boat that went on to win the Olympic bronze medal.[2]
At the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv in May 2025 he competed in the men’s double sculls alongside Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy.[3] They finished second in their semi-final to qualify for the A-final.[4] In the final, they won the bronze medal behind the winning boat from Poland.[5][6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Konan Pazzaia". World Rowing. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b Loughran, Neil (4 January 2025). "Moving around Europe, military service and the Olympic fire that burns brighter than ever - meet the Swiss-born Belfast rower targeting LA2028". Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "2025 EUROPEAN ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS: CREWS TO WATCH". World Rowing. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia qualify for pairs final while Fiona Murtagh mkes single sculls decider at Europeans". Independent.ie. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "RECORDS FALL IN FIRST DAY OF EUROPEAN ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALS". World Rowing. 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "McCarthy and Pazzaia take bronze for Ireland in Plovdiv". RTE. 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.