Dublin three-time Olympic gold medallist Michelle Smith De Bruin congratulated the country’s newest champions and defended her own wins from 1996.
The Rathcoole woman won three gold medals and a bronze at the Atlanta Olympics 25 years ago.
She was banned for four years by swimming’s governing body FINA for tampering with a urine sample in 1998.
The next year she had an appeal against the ban dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Dublin woman had never failed a drugs test during her career and still has her four Olympic medals.
In a statement to RTE's Liveline, she said: “I just want to congratulate our brilliant rowers, Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan, on their wonderful achievement in becoming Ireland’s newest Olympic champions.
“What a stunning performance.”
The athlete went on to defend her own Olympic medals and reflect on her time representing Ireland.
She said: “Twenty-five years ago this week, I became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
“By the end of that week in Atlanta, I had become a Triple Olympic champion.
“It was the culmination of seventeen years training and dedication to my sport.
“Standing on the podium, watching the tricolour being raised and listening to Amhrán na bhFiann was and still is, the proudest moment of my life.
“Twenty-five years have passed and people still stop to tell me where they were when I won my medals.
“I will always remain touched by the level of support still shown to me by the people of Ireland.”
A listener had previously contacted Joe Duffy’s show to point out that the Michelle’s medals from 1996 were not mentioned in the coverage of this year’s events.
They said: “I am following the RTE coverage of the Olympics and so far Michelle Smith has not been mentioned once.
“She is our greatest Olympian and I am ashamed at how she is being treated by RTE.”
