Hannah Scott, Daniel Wiffen, Rhys McClenaghan, and Jack McMillan achieved Olympic gold in Paris.
The moment of standing on the Olympic podium as a gold medal is placed around your neck is a dream realized.
It represents the culmination of years of dedication, hard work, and sacrifice.
While the initial euphoria and celebration are unforgettable, what happens after the world’s attention gradually fades?
BBC Sport explores the realities of achieving this ultimate dream one year later, speaking with four Olympic champions about their experiences, from work placements and ballroom dancing to new challenges and perspectives.
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Hannah Scott, alongside Lauren Henry, Georgina Brayshaw, and Lola Anderson, secured gold in the women’s quadruple sculls for Team GB in a thrilling final in Paris.
Scott, a world and European champion, described achieving her Olympic dream as “a bit of a whirlwind” and “the highlight of my life.”
“Since the age of 12, I’ve always had this vision of winning an Olympic gold. I rarely spoke about it because it felt almost presumptuous – you never know if it will actually happen.”
“It wasn’t a certainty; it was purely a dream.”
“I’ve been finding my footing a bit since then. It’s been incredibly exciting, in the best way possible.”
Hannah Scott (second from left) is now an Olympic, world and European champion
At just 25, Scott faced a significant decision about her future, one that wasn’t as straightforward as anticipated.
It wasn’t simply a matter of taking a break and then returning to training.
“I dedicated so much time to achieving that Olympic gold medal that, once you reach that goal, many athletes struggle with what comes next.”
“You’re left wondering, ‘What do I do now?’ You have to ask yourself if you want to continue.”
The Northern Irish rower admitted that it “wasn’t an easy decision.” She even pursued work experience to explore the possibility of office life.
“For your own well-being, you need to move on and find your next purpose. I’m content with that now, and I’m happy to be back rowing.”
“But I needed some time. I didn’t return to the boat until around Christmas, and that’s when I rediscovered my stride.”
“At the time, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I realized that I didn’t enjoy the office and that I missed rowing.”
“I never thought I’d miss the early mornings, but it turns out I appreciate the routine.”
After deciding to return, Scott contracted a virus that sidelined her at the beginning of the year. However, she is scheduled to return to competition at the World Championships in September, where she is expected to reunite with her Olympic teammates in the women’s quad.
For Scott, it’s simply one of the many “ups and downs” that come with being an athlete.
“I don’t think I’m finished yet. I want to see what else I can achieve,” she stated.
“It might be amazing, or it might not. But I’m willing to take the risk and try because high-performance sport is an addictive experience.”
Scott added that the response from Northern Ireland was “beyond” her expectations, and she is now motivated to “make them proud” after their support.
However, Scott jokingly mentioned one drawback that has resulted from the fame of her success.
“In some ways, it was more than I could have imagined, but in other ways, it’s still just another rowing race. That will never change.”
“I didn’t realize how many people cared about rowing. I can’t go to the store in my dressing gown anymore, which I might have done before.”
“Now, it’s like, ‘That’s the girl who went to the Olympics and won the medal.’ I didn’t expect that.”
“Rowing was my dream, and winning an Olympic medal was my dream, but I didn’t realize how many people would share that celebration with me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced that.”
Rhys McClenaghan completed gymnastics’ Grand Slam by winning Olympic gold in the pommel horse final with a remarkable routine.
He is now an Olympic, world, European, and Commonwealth champion.
McClenaghan has not competed since winning his Olympic gold exactly one year ago, on August 3, 2024, due to recent shoulder surgery.
“It’s quite ironic that one year ago, I was winning Olympic gold, and recently, I woke up in a hospital bed,” the 24-year-old said.
“It’s been a crazy year, a year of mental adjustments. The reality is that I’ve achieved a lifelong goal and childhood dream that has fueled me for years.”
“In that one moment, it was complete. My brain is still catching up.”
McClenaghan stated that winning Olympic gold “met every expectation” and that “all the blood, sweat, and tears were worth it for that moment and the feeling it gave me.”
“You imagine so many scenarios growing up, and the most important feeling for me was this: even if there was no one in the stands or watching at home, if I received that medal in an empty room, it would have meant just as much,” he continued.
“That proves that I undertook the journey for the right reasons.”
“But when I opened my eyes and looked around at the young gymnasts in the stands, and thought about those back home, I realized it was much bigger than just me.”
“That was an interesting realization. Experiencing both of those feelings simultaneously is a moment I’ll never forget.”
Rhys McClenaghan completed gymnastics’ Grand Slam when he won Olympic gold in Paris
Despite having won everything the sport has to offer, McClenaghan says he is motivated by “wanting to be the best.”
“I want to win a gold medal at every competition I enter,” he said.
“But the primary reason I go to training every day is that I enjoy gymnastics. That’s something I’ve realized over the past year or so.”
“Even though my goal was Olympic gold, the main thing that brought me to the gym every day was enjoying my sport.”
In a departure from gymnastics, McClenaghan competed in and won Dancing with the Stars, the Irish version of Strictly Come Dancing.
It was a different experience from the pommel horse, but one that he described as “pretty cool.”
“It was the perfect combination of doing something different and challenging myself, while still having similarities with sport. But I’m not a retired dancer,” he said.
Since winning gold, he has traveled around Ireland, visiting various gymnastics clubs to speak to the stars of the future.
“I knew how much winning an Olympic gold medal would have meant to me growing up,” McClenaghan said.
“I’m now in a privileged position to inspire, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.”
Daniel Wiffen made history in Paris when he became the first athlete from Northern Ireland to win an Olympic gold medal in 36 years, claiming victory in the 800m freestyle.
It marked the beginning of a historic run of four gold medals at the Games, with Jack McMillan, Scott, and McClenaghan all triumphing as well.
Athletes from Northern Ireland have the option of representing either Team GB or Team Ireland, and the Paris Games resulted in two gold medals for each.
Wiffen, who had previously won gold in the 800m and 1500m at the World Championships, said that being an Olympic champion “was actually better than I thought it would be.”
“I didn’t think anyone would care that much when I won Olympic gold. Looking back at Tokyo, I know it was the COVID Olympics, but I feel it wasn’t covered as much.”
“But Paris was insane. I remember walking down the Champs-Élysées after the race and I couldn’t take a step without people stopping me.”
“Even 12 months after the Olympics, people still recognize me, which is great to see for the sport’s progression. It will remain prominent every year leading up to LA, and people will be watching out for athletes at the World Championships and other competitions.”
Wiffen said that knowing people had taken up swimming because of him, even casually, had “changed his mindset” and that the support for the sport was “amazing.”
Daniel Wiffen won 800m freestyle gold and 1500m bronze for Team Ireland in Paris
The 24-year-old took time off after the Games to travel around Asia, but soon focused on defending his two world titles.
“I’m quite a confident person, so as soon as I came back from Paris I had already written down my goals for the next season,” he said before the Championships in Singapore.
“It was what I needed to do to win gold at the next World Championships, and what I needed to change.”
However, his path to Singapore was not smooth, as he was diagnosed with appendicitis just five weeks before the Worlds, forcing him to withdraw after the 800m final.
After helping Team GB win 4x200m gold in Paris, Jack McMillan took two months off to travel around Asia and returned to training around January after a “reset.”
The 25-year-old said that Olympic glory “definitely lives up to the expectation” but “it’s still something I’m trying to figure out.”
“When you reach that Everest, when you’ve achieved something you’ve been training for for so long, it’s a weird feeling,” he added.
“Part of you is really satisfied but there’s always something that you could still do more or you start to think about other things afterwards.”
“I think that’s the competitive side and why we get to these certain levels. We are always striving for other goals and bettering ourselves.”
“Once I retire from swimming and look back on it, I can say I’ve won Olympic gold and achieved the fullest moment I could in the sport.”
Jack McMillan says he has had to look for new goals after winning Olympic gold in Paris
Despite being an Olympic champion, McMillan said the “most pressurized situation” is at the national trials, where you only get “one chance” to swim at international events later that year.
“It’s not like you get a smoother ride because of what you did last year. You start back to where you were and you almost have to prove yourself again.”
“That gives you more confidence because there’s almost a fear of not knowing what you’ll perform like because you’ve had time off.”
McMillan won World Championships gold for Great Britain in Singapore on Friday and, speaking before the competition, had said he had been “thinking of other ways to get better” after his Olympic gold.
“You’ve reached the best thing you can get in the sport, there’s nothing better really.”
“It makes you reassess and think about what other areas I can get better, rather than thinking ‘that’s it done’.”
“I want to go for certain times for myself, and then medals at Worlds and Commonwealths will add to it.”
“It’s not necessarily the end of the world if it doesn’t happen, because I’ve already got the best thing you could get in the sport, but it’s trying to find things deeper within yourself rather than just having the accolades.”