'I'm so proud of him' - Wiffen's family react to historic gold

Daniel Wiffen ran to celebrate with his family after his first Olympic gold medal

It was meant to be the moment Rachel Wiffen got to see her son, Daniel, make Olympic history.

Except it didn't quite work out that way.

"A funny thing happened to me. When Daniel won my contact lens fell out," she told BBC Sport NI.

"I couldn't see a thing, but I could definitely hear it!"

After becoming world champion in the 800m and 1500m freestyle in Doha in February, Wiffen had been tipped to win a gold medal in Paris.

He qualified first in the heats and the Team Ireland swimmer came out on top after a dramatic finish at the La Defense Arena as he pipped the USA's Bobby Finke to gold.

As Wiffen tried, and failed, to hold back the tears as he received his gold medal, Rachel said she was also crying as her son took the biggest victory of his career.

"It was such a proud, proud moment. I can't believe it," a beaming Rachel said.

"When he got his medal we got right down to the bottom. He came running over and he hugged Nathan [Daniel's twin brother].

"It was lovely, I'm so proud of him."

Jonathan, Wiffen's father, added that watching Daniel become the first athlete from Northern Ireland to win an Olympic gold medal in 36 years was phenomenal.

"I don't think my heart rate has come down to normal yet and this is 30 or 40 minutes after the race.

"I can't believe he's got a gold medal, an Olympic gold medal!

"We went down to where the medal ceremony was and fought our way through all the security, and when he ran over it was just lovely."

Daniel said the only voice he heard in the arena was that of his twin, Nathan, despite the shouts and cheers for Wiffen and French swimmer David Aubrey.

"I've lost my voice, to be honest," Nathan said.

"I knew he had won it in the last 50 metres. I was like 'he's got it!', and I started celebrating before [the end].

"I was shouting, 'he's got to go, he's got to go'.

"I FaceTimed him and said where we were standing to give him a hug after his medal.

"Well done, you've done it. You've achieved the dream."