In a sports hall in Glasgow, 23-year-old Jon McConnell became a Commonwealth champion. Four years ago, he watched Aidan Walsh defend that same title. Now McConnell holds the gold, following in footsteps that have led many Northern Irish athletes from these Games all the way to Olympic podiums.
Northern Ireland athletes returned from Glasgow with 16 medals — their second-biggest Commonwealth Games haul ever, trailing only the 18 medals won in Birmingham in 2022. It's a result that shows the nation's sporting talent keeps growing, even as the Games themselves got smaller.
The Commonwealth Games sit at a special moment in the Olympic journey. They fall halfway through the four-year cycle between Summer Olympics, and for many athletes in Glasgow, the next stop is Los Angeles in 2028. These Games are where young athletes learn what big-stage competition feels like, and where experienced ones test how far they've come.
Kate O'Connor knows that journey well. She competed at her first Commonwealth Games as a 17-year-old in Australia's Gold Coast back in 2018. "Having that opportunity to travel across the world and compete against senior athletes on an international stage — not many 17-year-olds get that experience," she told BBC Sport NI. Four years later in Birmingham, she took silver. This year in Glasgow, she stood at the top of the podium, winning Northern Ireland's first athletics gold in 40 years.
"The Games have definitely stood to me," O'Connor said. "I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to compete in them."
Her story fits a pattern. Rhys McClenaghan's first major title was Commonwealth gold in 2018. Swimmer Daniel Wiffen won silver at the Commonwealths in 2022. Both men are now Olympic and world champions. Lady Mary Peters, one of Northern Ireland's greatest athletes, won Commonwealth medals before capturing Olympic gold in 1972.
The boxing team produced six medals — another impressive haul from a young squad. Kaci Rock, also 23, took silver and already has her sights set higher. "I've stood on the podium at the Commonwealth Games and now I want to stand on the podium at the Olympics," she said.
Swimmer Ellie McCartney, 21, won bronze in the 100-meter breaststroke. Three years ago she was winning golds at the Youth Commonwealth Games. Now she's a senior medallist. Some of the youngest competitors made their mark too — 16-year-old Emily Hughes was the youngest member of Team NI and swam in a relay that broke an Irish Senior record. Eighteen-year-olds Matthew Hamilton and Adam Bradley also set Irish Junior records.
With qualification for Los Angeles 2028 getting underway, these Glasgow performances mark the start of something bigger for many of these athletes. The Commonwealth Games gave them a glimpse of what's possible — and a reason to believe the best is still ahead.