Scott wins dramatic Olympic quad sculls gold with Team GB
Scott (second from right) said the "immensity" of the achievement had not yet sunk in
- Published
Hannah Scott helped Team GB take victory in a thrilling women's quadruple sculls final, becoming the third athlete from Northern Ireland to win a gold medal in the space of 24 hours at the Paris Olympics.
Great Britain pipped the Netherlands to gold by just 0.15 seconds after trailing the Dutch crew for the entirety of the race until the final metre.
It looked like the Dutch had taken victory with 250 metres remaining but Scott, along with team-mates Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson and Georgie Brayshaw, snatched victory in a dramatic photo finish.
The crew was in disbelief as they realised what they had achieved, with Coleraine rower Scott wiping tears away from her eyes after adding Olympic gold to her world title.
Scott joins swimmers Daniel Wiffen and Jack McMillan as gold medallists from Northern Ireland in Paris after their success in the pool on Tuesday.
Stunning finish 'a long time in the making'
Team GB come back to win gold in the women's quad sculls
"It's been a long time in the making and I can't quite believe it," said Scott, 25.
"I don't even know if I'm emotional yet, that will come. We were so process-driven today and the immensity hasn't struck me because I've been trying to play it really cool."
It was the most unlikely of victories for Team GB, who only led for the first time inside the final metre of the race.
Scott, Brayshaw, Anderson and Henry settled into the race in fourth place as the Netherlands and Ukraine looked to break away from the rest of the field.
The Dutch crew continued to lead as GB moved into second place at the halfway mark, as the battle for gold swiftly unfolded into a two-boat race.
Then, in a dramatic conclusion, a well-timed kick from GB in the final 100 metres pushed them past the Dutch on the line.
"We knew we had it, the confidence," added Scott.
"We've done so many hard miles in training. For anyone out there, just go for it because if you think you can you might just one day and that's the really cool thing about the Olympics."
Surpassing heroes from 2012
Scott was at Bann Rowing Club when the Chambers brothers, Richard and Peter, and Alan Campbell all brought their Olympic medals to Coleraine after the 2012 Games in London.
That was the moment that inspired her to commit to trying to win Olympic gold, and in Paris she not only matches her heroes but surpassed them with her historic gold – a first in rowing for GB at the Games.
Prior to the Paris Games, only three athletes from Northern Ireland had ever won Olympic gold medals.
However, Wiffen’s stunning and historic gold medal for Ireland in the 800 metre freestyle was swiftly followed up by McMillan, who had helped Team GB to 4x200m freestyle relay gold.
Scott’s success now means that golden honours list has doubled in less than 24 hours.
There could be more to come on Thursday at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, as Scott’s GB team-mate Rebecca Shorten races in the women’s four, and Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch compete in the men’s double sculls.