Media Coverage
Fiona Murtagh wins gold at World Rowing Championships
MUR POWER Irish ace 'lost for words' after winning stunning gold medal at World Rowing Championships
Fiona Murtagh Crowned Women's Singles Sculls World Rowing Champion
 
Bronx, N.Y. – Four years after bringing home a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics (which were held in 2021 due to COVID), Fordham graduate Fiona Murtagh, FCRH '16 can add another precious medal to her collection, this one a gold. Murtagh, competing with the Irish National Team, won a gold medal in women's single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai last month.
 
Murtagh, who is believed to be the first Fordham athlete to win a World Championship, led the race from the start. She had strong competition from Team Great Britain's Lauren Henry, who gave it a late push, but Murtagh managed to cross the line in 7:12.27, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Henry in a race that was decided by a photo finish.
 
A native of Galway, Murtagh started rowing in 2009. She attended National University of Ireland in Galway for one year before transferring to Fordham. She commenced her junior rowing career with a stellar performance when she stroked the women's novice eight to a gold medal at the 2011 Irish National Championships. That same year, she also represented Ireland at the Home International Regatta against England, Scotland, and Wales as the stroke seat of the gold medal winning coxed four.
 
In her second year, Murtagh continued her success with another gold medal winning performance in the stroke seat of the Women's Junior 8 at the 2012 Irish National Championships and went on to represent Ireland again at Home Internationals, stroking the eight and four, finishing second in the eight and third in the four. In addition to stroking the quad at the Junior World Championships in 2013, she retained her title in the Junior Women's 8 at the Irish National Championships from the 7 seat and finished second in the Club Eight event at Women's Henley in England.
 
Murtagh arrived at Fordham in 2013 and made her mark on the rowing program, highlighted by the Fordham club 4 winning the Head of Charles two years in a row. The first win was at the 2013 regatta where the Rams won gold, becoming the first Fordham women's crew to win an event at the prestigious regatta. She earned first team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2016 when Murtagh helped the Rams to a third place team finish, matching Fordham's best finish at the championship. Murtagh also earned second team all-conference accolades in 2014.
 
Following graduation, Murtagh returned to international competition, winning bronze at the 2020 European Rowing Championships in the Women's Four and silver at the 2021 European Rowing Championships in Varese.