Magheralin swimmer Daniel Wiffen wins gold at Olympic Games

Swimmer Daniel Wiffen has won gold in the men's 800m freestyle at the Olympic Games.

The 23-year-old from Magheralin becomes the first athlete from Northern Ireland to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics in over 50 years.

Wiffen set a new Olympic record as he finished Tuesday evening's final in a time of 7:38.19.

The Team Ireland swimmer was 0.56 seconds ahead of Bobby Finke of the USA who took silver, while the bronze medal went to Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy.

Wiffen is Northern Ireland's first gold medal winner since Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood triumphed with GB's hockey team in 1988, and the first individual gold winner since Lady Mary Peters won the pentathlon at the 1972 Games in Munich.

Meanwhile Team GB's James Guy, Tom Dean, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott won a gold medal in the men’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay, retaining their title and bringing Britain's gold haul to four.

Jack McMillan, who is from Belfast, will also return home with a gold. Jack did not compete in the final, but will still have a the highest medal awarded as he competed in the heat on Tuesday morning that took the team to the final. Team GB led by just half a second after the final exchange when Scott pulled away on the anchor leg to seal an ultimately comfortable win.

A time of six minutes and 59.43 seconds was 1.35 seconds ahead of runners-up the United States while bronze medallists Australia were a further 1.2 seconds back.

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