Competitors being emotional, that lump in their throat, tears welling. When that is revealed on a live broadcast, it naturally piques our interest.
Fintan McCarthy's disappointment was clear to see following his fourth-place finish in his single sculls semi-final at the recent World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. David Gillick was on hand to ask the questions, with the answers delivered in a voice that often quivered.
McCarthy outlining to RTÉ viewers a year where he failed to reach the heights to which he had become accustomed. The zenith of which were gold medals in the lightweight double sculls at 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
An emotional Fintan McCarthy spoke to @DavidGillick after he failed to qualify from the men's single sculls semi-finals this morning. He was fourth behind the German, USA and Uruguayan boat #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/0jvHR4cJ5t
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 29, 2026
In the Dutch city, there was some comfort, however, in watching Zoe Hyde & Margaret Cremen take gold and Fiona Murtagh claim silver.
A month has passed since the Worlds and McCarthy, speaking at an even to mark the launch of SPAR and EUROSPAR'S Community Sports Fund 2026, reflected on a season not without its difficulties.
"I guess there were a lot of challenges in the year, both personally and injury-wise," he told RTÉ Sport.
"I felt for a lot of the season I was playing catch-up along with the uncertainty of what boat I might be in. I wasn't available for the initial trials at the start of the year because of the back injury. I felt like the time I got to the Worlds I had a couple of good months behind me training; I was happy how I was feeling in that moment.
"But no, the year had taken its toll. Mentally in the back of your mind you know you're not in the greatest of places."
The support network was close at hand and the 29-year-old was quick to praise those who medalled in Amsterdam, their achievements a reminder of the road he once travelled.
"Zoe, Margaret and Fiona smashed it out of the park and I felt I was on their journey a bit because we had done a lot of training together," he revealed.
"Upon reflection in seeing how much better work they had done than me during the year, it gave me the realisation of what I need to work on now. I know some of the things that happened during the year were out of my control but my reaction to those things is something I can learn from.
"There was huge celebration after the girls' success and they were support for those of us who didn't get to where we wanted. And it's important to have that network close to you in good times and bad.
"And I know now what I have to do going into next year, an important year ahead of the Olympics in 2028."
All roads lead to Los Angeles. A Games where the lightweight division is no more. So it's all in the heavyweight boat now. Not a huge alteration it would seem for McCarthy.
"There was never a question mark that we could transition well," he added.
"We always knew it was coming. It was supposed to happen after the Tokyo Olympics but Covid put a pin in it. Thankfully we got another shot at being Olympic champions in the lightweight double.
"We found in all our years in lightweight we were never that far off being as quick as heavyweights, did a lot of training against our heavyweight doubles over the years and we were consistently up there if not faster.
"That easy transition gave me the confidence to really go for it."
There is a choice, then, to be made with LA on the horizon.
Single sculls?
"I love training as a single and racing as a single. It was a nice change. If you are having a really good day in the singles, you can advance, though on the flip side, the dip can be quite stark if things go bad. In the double or any crew boat it is an average of how two, four, or eight people are feeling on the day, so the results can be a lot more consistent."
McCarthy with a succinct assessment on going solo.
You press him on the matter and the reply is: "The goal is to race in whatever we have the best chance in, of being successful in".
And he has options.
"The single only presented itself this year. I was not available at the early trials when crew boats were formed. That's how it ended up me racing single this year. I thought it would be a fun challenge for me. I'm not sure whether the end goal is me racing single in LA.
"We've had a lot of success in the double sculls lightweight and heavyweight historically. I've rode with Paul (O'Donovan), Phillip Doyle and Konan Pazzaia, have had podium finishes with Konan in the heavyweight double.
"Logically that would be the most straightforward option. Hopefully I'll be fast enough to be one of the best for that boat. Then there are more options; the quad scull, the single and the pair - four and eight. Lots of heavyweight options. We'll aim for getting a quick double together and go from there."
Maybe McCarthy will look back on 2026 as a year where he reset.
The know-how is still there: 2027 will give us an indication of his desire to reach the summit again with another World Championships in Lucerne.
As he says himself: "Having so much success in the past in both lightweight and heavyweight, the good thing is I know how to get back there and with more motivation to get back there than ever before."
