Paul O'Donovan will not compete at next month's World Rowing Championships in Shanghai due to work commitments at the Mater Hospital in Dublin.
O'Donovan, 31, is a triple Olympic medallist (two golds and one silver), and has won a remarkable seven golds at World Championships.
Two years ago he graduated in medicine at University College Cork.
On Wednesday, Rowing Ireland's lead coach Dominic Casey confirmed O'Donovan will not be travelling to China, while his heavyweight double partner Daire Lynch - a medical student - is also out. Lynch won a bronze medal in the men's double sculls at the Paris Games alongside Philip Doyle.
The Championships take place from 21 to 28 September.
"Paul is working in the Mater Hospital... so he unfortunately can't make the World Championships," Casey told RTÉ Sport's Darren Frehill.
"Daire is the same, he's doing medicine.
"We'll definitely see them back. They're just taking a few weeks off."
This year's team reflects a deliberate focus on athlete development, with an eye on the next Olympic and Paralympic cycle. Some new talent will be blooded, with fresh partnerships and combinations set to be trialled.
"This year, after a post-Olympic year, it's been a challenge really," added Casey.
"A lot of people have been back in college and been working. They're looking after their careers after rowing, but now they're focused on their rowing for the next six weeks.
"It's still a strong team, we'll hope for the best."
Fresh from her silver medal at the European Championships in June, Galway’s Fiona Murtagh will step into the women’s single scull, an event she only started to train for less than a year ago.
"It's been such a journey," said Murtagh. "I'm learning a lot. The single's been so different, I've learned a lot about myself. It's been a very vulnerable space, but with the help of Dominic, he's been so good to me, I'm really enjoying it."
The men’s double scull sees Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy paired with Olympic bronze medallist Philip Doyle, who reflected: "I'm excited, we have such a wealth of talent. I was focusing on the career this year, I've come back, I'm delighted to finally fight my way to the top and to get in the boat with him and see what we can do. I'm learning every day off Fintan."
The women’s four makes a strong return post the Paris Games, featuring returning Olympians Natalie Long and Imogen Magner. Two new members join the team: Emma Waters and Aisling Hayes.
The men’s pair of Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan will renew their partnership, while the men’s quadruple scull Adam Murphy, Andrew Sheehan and Brian Colsh welcome experienced Olympian and World medallist Ronan Byrne into the mix.
The 2023 World gold medallist Siobhan McCrohan continues her campaign in the lightweight single.
In the women’s double, Olympians Zoe Hyde and Margaret Cremen reunite following appearances at the European Championships and World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, while Tokyo medallist Emily Hegarty partners with double Olympian Aoife Casey in the women’s pair.
Jake McCarthy - a finalist in the lightweight men's single scull at the Europeans - goes in the same event in Shanghai.
Meanwhile gold medal-winning Paralympian Tiarnan O’Donnell will team up with young athlete Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire in the PR2 mixed double scull following their medal winning success at the Lucerne International regatta this year.
IRELAND TEAM FOR THE WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS
(September 21-28)
Lightweight Women's Single Scull (LW1X): Siobhán McCrohan
Women’s Single Scull (W1X): Fiona Murtagh
Women’s Double Scull (W2X): Margaret Cremen and Zoe Hyde
Women’s Pair (W2): Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty
Women’s Four (W4): Aisling Hayes, Imogen Magner, Emma Waters and Natalie Long
Lightweight Men’s Single Scull (LM1X): Jake McCarthy
Men’s Single Scull (M1X): Konan Pazzaia
Men’s Double Scull (M2X): Fintan McCarthy and Philip Doyle
Men’s Pair (M2): Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney
Men’s Quad Scull (M4x): Andrew Sheehan, Adam Murphy, Brian Colsh & Ronan Byrne
PR2 Mixed Double Scull (PR2 Mix 2x): Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire and Tiarnán O’Donnell
