'Olympic champion Scott will inspire next generation'

Hannah Scott (second from right) with her Olympic gold medal

Hannah Scott embodies all the qualities required to win an Olympic medal: resilience, determination, strength of mind and body and sheer willpower to see the race through to the end.

In an Olympic final that must be considered a classic of the genre, the Team GB quad sculls crew of Scott, Georgie Brayshaw, Lola Anderson and Lauren Henry never led the Netherlands until the final stroke of the race.

The gap of fifteen-hundredths of a second will change Scott’s life forever.

She is now, and always will be, an Olympic champion.

Rather like a young Mary Peters, 52 years ago, Scott has no idea how her life might change but as Northern Ireland’s first female gold medallist since Lady Mary, there couldn’t be a better ambassador for sport.

As a 12-year-old, Scott was inspired to become an Olympian by the medal exploits of fellow Bann Rowing Club rowers Alan Campbell and Richard and Peter Chambers after the London Games in 2012.

Twelve years later, Scott has become the inspiration for others.

"All of us had that dream as 12-year-olds and watching Alan and Richard and Peter coming away with silvers and bronzes was really inspiring for me,” explained Scott.

“For me I still can’t believe this is happening but what I would say to anyone is trust yourself and have that self-belief. That was instilled in me at a young age.

“We all had that belief and that was the biggest factor is getting down the course today and winning.”

It was Richard Chambers who told this reporter after the Rio Olympics to watch out for this young girl from Coleraine called Hannah Scott. He said she was the "real deal".

From seventh to first in one Olympic cycle

Scott’s journey took her to Princeton University in the USA, becoming a two-time Ivy League Champion in the Varsity Eight as well as captain of Princeton Women’s crew, but her NCAA rowing career was curtailed by a year because of Covid.

That did allow her to return to training with the Great Britain squad and earn a place in the delayed Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

The Team GB quad sculls finished seventh.

“Seventh in Tokyo was quite a hard result for myself, but having Lauren, Georgie and Lola in the boat with me since we got into it in 2023 has been working and it’s been a dream team really," added Scott.

“To walk away with gold this time, I don’t think we all quite believe it. Well raced to the Netherlands and Germany, there are some outstanding crews as well that were pushing us every day in training.

“I don’t think it’s quite sunk in for all of us. We’re over the moon. To come from seventh to first, you’ve really got to take the experience and grow from it. You can’t let it get you down. And that would go out to any of the rowers here whose first Games is maybe not going to plan.”

Scott is now an Olympic, world and European champion and her outgoing and friendly personality mark her out as a leader within the GB squad.

Her boyfriend is fellow rower Ollie-Wynne Griffith, who will go for gold himself in Friday’s men’s pair final. They are proud owners of a cat called Marmite.

Despite living in England, Scott’s heart still lies on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

"I'm so proud to come from Northern Ireland and it's part of me and I've never let that go and I've been in America, I've been in England, but I am like through and through a Northern Ireland girl.

"If you just love your sport, just go for it because sport is so great in Northern Ireland and it's bound us together and I've met so many friends from both sides of the community.

"I just think sport is the way forward for Northern Ireland because I've learned the most from sport. It teaches you so much."

With role models like Scott, the future of sport in Northern Ireland is in safe hands.