Belfast swimmer Jack McMillan and Great Britain teammate Kieran Bird have received their hard-earned Olympic gold medals.
Bangor Swimming Club star McMillan and Bird were part of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team that won the 4x200m Freestyle Relay on Tuesday. However, as neither McMillan or Bird raced in the final, they were not allowed on the podium alongside teammates Tom Dean, Matt Richards, Duncan Scott and James Guy.
McMillan and Bird qualified for gold medals as they raced in Tuesday morning’s heat, before Dean, Richards, Scott and Guy won a dramatic final in a time of 6.59.43. The 24 year-old competed for Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, but opted to switch to Great Britain in 2022.
McMillan described collecting the medal as as ‘special moment’. In heartfelt Instagram post, the swimmer paid tribute to his mother who died last year.
He said: “Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career, I appreciate it.
“It’s been a challenging journey to get to this point, with transitioning nation, to better my career and my mum passing last year, I knew I had to give my everything and be resilient, both in and out of the pool.
“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, friends, Stirling Uni, coaches and teammates.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity, this is only the start.”