Olympic gold medallist given hero’s welcome home in Coleraine

Northern Ireland’s first female Olympic gold medallist in 50 years has been given a hero’s welcome home in Coleraine.

Hannah Scott, 25, won gold as part of Team GB’s quadruple sculls at the Paris games.

She is one of a record four Olympic gold medallists from the region this summer, with swimmers Daniel Wiffen and Jack McMillan and gymnast Rhys McClenaghan.

Scott arrived at Bann Rowing Club, where she has been a long-term member, on Wednesday, to cheers and club members holding up oars for her to walk through.

Later crowds lined the streets of the Co Derry town as she made her way to the Diamond for a reception at the Town Hall.

She said she “almost can’t quite believe that it actually all happened”.

Scott said she was looking forward to taking some time off for a holiday, but said she was keen to keep rowing and did not rule out aiming for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Speaking about her team’s win in a nail-biting finish, she said you can never be 100% certain before a race.

“You have to have your belief which is really important. In terms of confidence you have to be confident enough,” she said.

“But you never really know what is going to happen on the day and accept that something might go wrong.

“I’d consider it (2028 Olympics). It’s a long slog so I think I just need to take it one step at a time and enjoy this moment first.”

Scott was part of the celebrations in Coleraine in 2012 when Alan Campbell and Richard and Peter Chambers won Olympic medals.

“I remember this day in 2012. I can’t even comprehend that that is this now,” she said.

“All the support we get from home is really special. I’m really lucky in terms of the close community here.”

The last Olympic gold medal won by an athlete from Northern Ireland was in 1988, when Stephen Martin was part of the Team GB hockey team.

The last individual gold Olympic medal won by an athlete from Northern Ireland was Lady (Mary) Peters in 1972.

McClenaghan and McMillan will be celebrated at a homecoming event in Newtownards, Co Down on Friday, while crowds turned out for Wiffen in Magheralin on Tuesday.