2024 Olympics: Bann Rowing coach Seamus Reynolds

Bann Rowing coach Seamus Reynolds spoke to the media after Hannah Scott's gold medal success at the Paris Olympics.

Transcript

00:00We're expecting athletes to come here and they've had a chance to go to the middle of the ceremony.

00:07What an occasion to talk to them and hear all of their impressions.

00:10Absolutely fantastic. I always thought the Netherlands were going to be the crew to watch

00:15out for and I was quite pleased the halfway mark the GB was only half a length down on them.

00:21That's the position they had to be because Netherlands and the Heat were two lengths up

00:25by a thousand metres and then ruled the Heat comfortably. So GB put them under pressure.

00:31But I honestly didn't think, I don't know where that finish came from.

00:34We had an old saying down at Van Roon Club, when you get to the wall at Tesco's

00:37you've only about 50 metres to go and we used to always say to our crews you're at the Van Wall

00:42and that inspired them to dig in and dig deep. Well that was something very similar there today

00:47where 100 metres to go and GB came from nowhere to win on the surge. The surge is the last stroke.

00:53Either way, Netherlands and GB, my goodness, it was fantastic. I'd even seen the wee

01:00boy girl Lauren and the GB crew looking around before the line to see where they were,

01:04which is something you don't normally do, but she got away with it.

01:07Absolutely fantastic. My heart is pumping for them.

01:11What does it mean to Van Roon Club and Co Reign?

01:17It means a lot to Van Roon Club and Co Reign and the whole of Northern Ireland.

01:21Hannah Scott was a young girl in the last Olympics. The last Olympics were in 2012

01:25when we had three Olympians from the town rowing and that's what gave Hannah the inspiration to

01:30take up rowing and look where we've come now. Two Olympics later on, we watched that young

01:36girl who was inspired by the last Olympians. So I'm expecting a knock-on effect from this event

01:42today for kids knocking on our doors. We haven't room for a lot of kids but that would be filled

01:50up for years to come, believe you me. And what about the crowd that came down

01:54today to cheer her on? The crowd was fantastic. It's great to see it.

01:58Middle of the day, people come out of work. I sneaked out of work myself,

02:02OK boss, just to get here. You wouldn't miss it. As an ex-rower, ex-coach myself,

02:09it's fantastic to be here and give her support. Van Roon Club, GB and all the rowers here,

02:15ex-rowers are standing around here today. It's fantastic for the whole club.