Sam Reardon did not qualify for the Paris Olympics, in fact, he watched the opening ceremony on television. However, he celebrated the closing ceremony with his British teammates as a double Olympic medallist.

Reardon suffered a hamstring injury that knocked him out of the 400m final at the British Olympic trials. Weeks later, he beat his personal best at the Diamond League in London, but was no longer eligible for selection for the Games.

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Charlie Carvell, a member of the 4x400m was forced to withdraw due to injury just as the Games were starting. The day after the opening ceremony across the Seine, Reardon received the call-up as a replacement for his teammate Carvell.

After the first weekend of track and field events, Reardon, along with Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haudock-Wilson and Amber Anning, had won bronze in the 4×400 medley, setting a new national record. They also added a bronze in the men’s 4×400.

In addition, Reardon, who took to the podium carrying a photo of his mother Marilyn in his pocket, said. “She always said it was her dream to see me on the Olympic stage. It was a huge dream for me to have her support,” Reardon said of her mother, who died in 2019.

“It’s been a crazy, non-stop journey, everything has come at 200mph, but I’ve tried to make the most of it, get to the Olympics, do a race, win a medal and then another,” said Reardon, who also said that “I’ll be a double Olympic medallist forever, I could finish my career here and I’d be happy.