Coleraine celebrates Olympic gold for NI rower

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5jkp5j0zvo

There were celebrations in Coleraine, County Londonderry, as local rower Hannah Scott secured a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Scott won the women's quadruple sculls event on Wednesday in a photo finish.

She was racing alongside fellow crew members Georgina Brayshaw, Lola Anderson, and Lauren Henry as part of Team GB.

In her hometown of Coleraine the race was shown on a large screen at the diamond as fans watched on.
Five people wearing t-shirts that say "G'wan ya girl ye. Hannan Scott"
Image caption,

Fans of Hannah Scott gathered in Coleraine town centre to watch the race

Seamus Reynolds, a former coach at Bann Rowing Club, was among those watching in Coleraine.

“It’s amazing what she’s achieved in such a short time in her career,” he said.

“As a young girl she came down to the Bann Rowing Club, stuck by the rowing club’s programme and through the junior coaches right through.

“Her transition from a junior rower to a senior rower was very quick, went away to America, and then joined the GB Squad.”
Man in a red t-shirt smiling with a crowd in the background
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Seamus Reynolds said that Scott was "always going for the gold"

Mr Reynolds added “she always was going for the gold”.

On the a close battle for gold, he said: “I honestly thought the Netherlands had it, what a surge for the line, absolutely fantastic.”

“What an achievement for the town, for the Bann Rowing Club, and for rowing in general in Northern Ireland.”
Man wearing mayoral chain and suit smiling into the camera. Crowd of people and rows of plastic chairs in a town square behind
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Ciarán McQuillan said Scott would inspire a new generation of athletes from Coleraine

Ciarán McQuillan, the mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, described Scott as a “homegrown hero”.

“It’s unreal to see how she inspires a whole new generation of young athletes, especially young female athletes,” he said.

“We are so happy she has won the gold medal.”
Man and woman smiling into camera
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William and Jennifer Campbell, the parents of Olympic Bronze medallist Alan Campbell, were watching on as Scott took gold

William and Jennifer Campbell, the parents of Alan Campbell, who won Olympic bronze in 2012 and also hails from Coleraine watched from the town centre on Wednesday as Scott took the gold.

“It was on the edge of your seat stuff, it really was,” William said.

Jennifer said that when Alan was racing she sometimes had to “close her eyes”.

“It’s all nerve wracking”, she said.

“I was confident that Hannah would be in the winning boat, I really was, from what I’ve watched from what I’ve seen of her, from what I know of her,” Jennifer said.
Sharon Scott (right) with Hannah (left) and Ollie Wayne-Griffith (middle)Image source, Scott family
Image caption,

Sharon Scott (right) with Hannah (left) and Ollie Wayne-Griffith (middle), who also raced in a semi final on Wednesday

In France, some of her closest family members as well as her childhood coaches were cheering from the sidelines as Scott took the gold.

A contingent of nearly 60 of her family, friends, and former coaches travelled to Paris to watch the race.

Speaking ahead of the race, her mother said it would be "a long six minutes".

“It is heart in the mouth stuff,” said Sharon, speaking to BBC Radio Foyle on Wednesday morning.

“[Hannah's dad] and I cling to each other on these first days of the heats.”

Sharon watched the race from a grandstand at the finishing line, beside her relatives, friends from Hannah’s primary school, and Princeton University in the US, where she studied, among others.

“Everyone who is here with us has had a little piece to play in that journey,” she added.

“The coaches from Bann [rowing club in Coleraine], all her childhood coaches from every year, made the journey across from Belfast, and that’s a big surprise for her when she sees them.

“She really has no idea.”
Hannah Scott with her long-time coach from Bann Rowing Club, Geoff BonesImage source, Sharon Scott
Image caption,

Hannah Scott with her long-time coach from Bann Rowing Club, Geoff Bones, after winning the World Championship last September

Among them was her former coach, Geoff Bones.

Hannah joined Bann Rowing Club in Coleraine when she was 13-years-old.

“She told the coach on her first day down when she was doing her trials.

"She told him that she wanted to be the first female rower to go to the Olympics from Bann. Her dad and the coach laughed.

“And her dad said to the coach at the time, ‘If she gets to the Olympics, I’ll take you with me'.

“We are just honouring that promise now,” Sharon added.

“Geoff Bones and his wife are with us here in Paris, and they’re as excited and delighted to see it all happening as we are.”