What Daniel and Jack did.

Did you watch the Olympics swimming last evening? To be precise, did you watch the 800 metres free-style final for men? Of course you did – OF COURSE YOU DID.  Because Daniel Wiffen was tipped to do the business,  he did the business, and this morning he is the proud holder of an Olympic gold medal. Maith an fear, Daniel! Well done.

When I switched on my radio this morning, Stephen Nolan and Doug Beattie were talking about that win, and the win of Jack McMillan, also from NEI, who was part of a four-man Team GB who won the 200 metres freestyle.

So bully for Jack too.  I felt the kind of affinity with him that I felt with the Italian women’s  team winning a silver in the gymnastics section.  Nice one, well done youse. Jack used to swim for Ireland but he felt he needed to ‘change his nationality’ for the games. (Here’s him explaining all… https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=3luGoTx6D7g

But in the case of young Daniel Wiffen, my affinity was by far more complete – he was swimming for Ireland – all of Ireland.  I expect he could, if he’d chosen, have done what Jack McMillan did, and  have swum for Great Britain. If he’d been from Gibraltar or the Falklands, he also could have swum for Team GB. It’s a perfectly free choice. But whereas I didn’t actually see Jack gain his medal, I watched and cheered every splash for Daniel. The fact that he has a twin brother who also swims added to the surreal delight of the moment. And that he needed to put on his glasses when he stood on the podium and the pool area resounded to Amhrán na bhFiann. And that he needed to stick a finger behind his glasses to wipe a tear as the anthem played.

Here’s a link to Daniel doing the business… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3eGSjag21M

In the old days,  when the likes of Ronnie Delaney was running and John Caldwell was boxing, the British commentators liked to colonise Irish athlete as long as they were winning, but switched smoothly to ‘the Irish athlete’ if he was getting hammered.

This morning, Nolan didn’t keep it a secret that Jack swam for Team GB  and Daniel swam for Team Ireland, but there was an elephant in the studio. Jack chose his affiliation and Daniel chose his. And in my crazy twisted mind, that made all the difference.

How did you see it, then? Have you a crazy twisted mind like mine?

PS. And since no one else is mentioning her, I will. Michelle Smith won a bagful of gold medals for Ireland in 1996 and then was …Well,you decide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELfARc2cMIk