‘It was just electric’: Parents share pride in gold medal swimmer Daniel Wiffen

Wiffen, who grew up in the village of Magheralin, near Lurgan, Co Armagh, set a new Olympic record in the men’s 800m freestyle final in Paris.

Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen with his gold medal after winning the men’s 800m freestyle final at the Paris La Defense Arena (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

The parents of gold medal swimmer Daniel Wiffen have spoken of their pride at his history-making win at the Olympics.

Wiffen, who grew up in the village of Magheralin, near Lurgan, Co Armagh, triumphed in the men’s 800 metres freestyle final in Paris on Tuesday evening, setting a new Olympic record in the process.

Only an hour after Wiffen’s success another Northern Ireland swimmer secured a gold medal.

While Jack McMillan did not participate in the Olympic 4x200m freestyle final that was won by Team GB swimmers Matt Richards, James Guy, Tom Dean and Duncan Scott, the 24-year-old from Co Down still secured a medal having swum for the team in the qualifying heats.

Earlier, Wiffen, 23, became the first gold medallist from Northern Ireland for 36 years and Ireland’s first male swimming gold medallist.

Prior to his gold medal swim, the last athletes from Northern Ireland to win Olympic gold were Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood, who were part of the winning Team GB hockey team at Seoul in 1988.

Wiffen is the first individual gold medallist from Northern Ireland since Mary Peters triumphed for GB in the pentathlon at Munich in 1972.

His parents Rachel and Jonathan were in the La Defense Arena to witness the thrilling win.

Other family members, including Wiffen’s twin brother Nathan – a talented swimmer in his own right – were also there.

Nathan and Daniel’s love of the water started when they were just three months old when their parents took them along to Water Babies classes.

“It was just electric,” mum Rachel told BBC Radio Ulster.

“We were very, very high up, so we were way away from the pool, and I had a bit of a wobble at 400 metres, and I was thinking this isn’t going how I thought it was going to go.

“And then that last 50m it was just amazing. Just he did everything he was going to do. It was just brilliant.”

His dad Jonathan said: “Stroke after stroke, we were watching him, we’re watching the board, we’re watching the time, we’re watching each other. We’re sort of saying how are the others doing?”

He added: “By the last 150 metres, we were all on our feet. All the people around us were cheering Daniel on and shouting for him in the stadium. It was absolutely amazing.”

Chief executive of Swim Ulster Stephen Cuddy said that Wiffen’s performance was “perfect racing”.

He told the PA news agency: “It’s unbelievable for Irish sport and it’s unbelievable because everyone is into swimming now.

“Shane Lowry in the arena last night was incredible.

Everyone is going to want to be a Daniel Wiffen

Stephen Cuddy, Swim Ulster

“Swimming obviously is not front and centre like golf or football or Gaelic Games or rugby, so it’s a bit surreal seeing my Facebook and Twitter feed congratulating Daniel.”

He added: “It’s not as if he’s had people go before him that have led the way for him, he’s led the way for everyone else.

“Everyone is going to want to be a Daniel Wiffen.

“Kids need role models and goodness me I don’t think we could have a better role model than Daniel because he speaks very well, he’s full of belief, he’s just a really good news story in Ireland.”

Meanwhile, McMillan’s brother Leo said the fact he did not get his medal on the podium did not take away from his amazing performance in the heat.

“He really didn’t have any nerves and neither did I going into it, I just have full confidence in him,” he told Radio Ulster.

“I thought he was going to do really well and he did. We were absolutely ecstatic last night and even this morning. I’m just so proud of him. Obviously, it would have been nice to see him stand on the podium, but the performance itself in the heat was amazing. And he really did put on a show.”

Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly have congratulated both swimmers while Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tanaiste Micheal Martin hailed Wiffen’s achievement in becoming Ireland’s first ever male swimming gold medallist.